On the World Cup 2010: Final thoughts and reactions

So the World Cup has drawn to a close. I don't know about you, but it's pretty depressing for me. Anyway, I want to get right down to the broad strokes of this final and what it means for the upcoming season of club play.

1. Spain's victory. In quite possibly the worst game of the tournament, Spain and Holland continually missed the chance to win the biggest sporting event of either of their country's history. I don't know about you, but I felt like I was watching some chippy Scottish Premier League game where all of the players are drunk off their asses going into the game.

This game produced by far the most yellow cards in the history of the Final, the first ever recorded live action Falcon Kick by Nigel De Jong, two of the worst moments in Arjen Robben's life, an extremely climactic goal from Andres Iniesta off a broken play, and some extremely spine-chilling tears from Spanish captain Iker Casillas.

Let's talk for a minute about Torres. I think that this is the most tragic story of the tournament. Torres went into this World Cup having endured two major knee surgeries, one of the most talked about transfer deals in soccer history, and having had to sit out for the large majority of one of the worst seasons in Liverpool's history. When he arrived on the stage, everyone shit on him non-stop, and he was pulled out of the starting line-up. This was a piss poor decision because Bosque had to change the entire formation so that Villa was a lone striker. Villa is not a lone striker. He scored all five of his goals when Torres was in the game because that meant he could start out on the left, when he's a lone striker, he gets lost amongst the central defenders and his pretty below average aerial game. The decision to pull Torres is the cause of Spain's complete lack of potency in the final. If you noticed, Spain was constantly trying to work the ball through the middle of the defense, which is exactly what Holland wanted and they defended valiantly everytime.

Then when he did finally put him in in the final, Torres tweaked his hamstring again. And that just sucks.

Let's move on now.

2. Thomas Mueller wins the Golden Boot. 20 year old Thomas Mueller won the Golden Boot this year because of a tie break with Forlan, Villa, and Sneijder. He had three assists whereas they all only had one. Mueller with this Boot has become the youngest player since Pele in 1954 to score 5 or more in a World Cup Final, is the youngest player ever to win the Boot, and he's only a few months older than me.

Now, let's talk about Mueller's future. Mueller will return to Bayern Munich next season coming off one of the most impressive displays of the entire tournament. There's a problem though, because the man who currently starts out on the right for Bayern is none other than Arjen Robben, who is probably the second best right winger in the world right now after Lionel Messi. I think Mueller needs to leave Bayern, maybe even stay in the Bundesliga. I would just really hate to see talent like that riding the bench.

3. Diego Forlan wins the Golden Ball. Forlan is my favorite player ever. He's got the field vision, the passing skills to go with it, the shot of a Barrett 50 caliber sniper rifle, the technique, and the grace. He also never dives, never gets carded, and never bitches to the refs. He just does his job, straight up.

A story about Forlan for those who don't know: He dedicates every goal he scores to his sister who was paralyzed in a car accident when they were kids. He became a professional footballer so that she'd never have to pay a medical bill in her life.

He's the last great, classy player.

4. Disapppointments. I'm just going to go through these quickly. Wayne Rooney touched the ball like six times total. Torres (sadness). Cristiano Ronaldo scored a goal I could score and other than that rolled around on the pitch like a bitch. Lionel Messi broke the record for the most shots in a single tournament (30) without a goal. France just screwed everything up. England looked like a bunch of tired old men. Italy.

5. Final thoughts. I hope you all enjoyed this World Cup, I know I did. I'll start covering the transfer craziness and the club season soon. Until next time. Thanks for reading.

On the FINAL: Who will win.

For those who have been under a rock, On Sunday afternoon Holland will play Spain in the 2010 Fifa World Cup Final in South Africa. This marks the first time the final will be played in Africa and the first time that Spain have gotten beyond the quarter final (yes, it's true).

So what we all want to know is, who's going to win? It's an important question. Spain have been waiting 70 years to even have a chance like this, and Holland has been to three finals and never won. The question, who wants it more?

I think I've worked out who's going to win, and I don't think many of you are going to like it. But here goes: Spain 1-0 Holland.

Here's the thing, the Final is characteristically low scoring. And that makes sense. Everyone's nervous out of their damn minds, it's no wonder that chances are so rare. But I think Spain will be able to pull this out for a couple of reasons.

1. Midfield. The war is going to be won and lost in this game in the midfield. You've got Dutch enforcers Mark Van Bommel and Nigel De Jong trying to get the ball up field to Sneijder. On the other side, you've got Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Andres Iniesta, and Pedro passing like demons and trying to snipe Villa on a diagonal run. The key man here is De Jong. He's got to avoid a yellow card while still kicking the crap out of Xavi, which isn't easy.

I'd say Holland's best chance is Sneijder's passing ability from the midfield out to Robben and Kuyt. Their best chance is to get Robben cutting in from the left or Kuyt laying a ball in to Robin Van Persie. But I think Spain's central defense got a pretty stern talking to, as they were playing like maniacs in the game today. I honestly think Puyol is going to die before he lets a ball get by him.

2. Psychological battle. Spain come into this final with absolutely no expectations. They've never been here before. And they could be the favorite, but Holland beat Brazil for God's sake. It's not like I'm calling a 3-0 route here, which will not happen I assure you.

But I think the key here is the mental state of Holland's players. They come into this game knowing the mournful history of their side in the final. They've got aging stars like Robben, Kuyt, Van Brockhorst, and Van Bommel who know that this is probably their last shot. They've got guys like Van Persie who are frustrated out of their minds with their inability to find a scoring chance. They've got one of the largest travelling fan bases in South Africa. I think all of the weight of expectation is on Holland, and I'm not sure they're ready to cope with that.

Not only that, but there has been simmering discord amongst the Dutch side. Like when Van Persie was whining after being taken out and saying that Sneijder should have been taken out, if anyone. Or when Van der Vaart came over and told Robben that he was going to take the corner, and Robben sort of grimaced and walked away. Seconds later, Van der Vaart missed absolutely everyone. I think that if this team gets down early (which they more than likely won't) the tensions may rise considerably.

3. Set pieces. Xavi. That's really all I have to say, but I'll elaborate. As today's game has shown us, as well as this entire tournament has shown us, set pieces are key in these massive games. And I think Spain have the best chance of converting one. Xavi is immaculate, and he never flinches in big game situations. Don't go get a beer when Spain has a corner, that's all I'm saying.

4. Substitutions. Substitutes are going to be key in this game. Particularly for Holland. Eljero Elia, if he comes in, could be capable of unlocking the Spanish defense. Klaas Jan Huntelaar, despite his young age, is a fearless striker and I think may deserve the start over a frankly pathetic Van Persie. Rafael Van der Vaart, as much as I hate him, is very capable at pushing the tempo and catching defenses off guard.

On the other side, Fernando Torres can come in and perhaps redeem himself. Maybe he scores the only goal in the Final as he did in the Euro 2008 victory over Germany. Jesus Navas can come in and do his little whirling durvish thing all over everybody's face. Cesc Fabregas, if he's not too hurt, can come in and just be better than Busquets in every facet of the game.

The question is, which coach will take more chances? Bert Van Marwuyk, the passionate, eloquent fan boy? Or Vicente Del Bosque, the stern, unforgiving Champions League stalwart. Frankly, I think both men are equally ballsy in their selections.

5. Wildcard. Weird shit happens in the World Cup Finals. The Hand of God, Lampard's "Goal that Wasn't" (As I've coined it), and Zidane's infamous headbutt. I think in this final we need to watch out for stuff like that. Maybe Xabi Alonso upper 90s one from half field, as he has been threatening to do all tournament. Maybe Villa scores a goal with his ass off a deflected shot, who knows.

I also think, as the projected scoreline shows, that Villa will hold on my prediction and go on to win the Golden Boot, making him the hottest player in the world just as he enters Barcelona.

These are my keys to Spain's first World Cup win. Want to defend the Oranje? Let's discuss. (Sidenote I'm for Holland).

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 New Zealand's 1-1 tie of Italy: The ultimate case for why I hate Italy.

I despise Italian football. They're whiny, over-theatrical, lucky, and just play extremely unentertaining games. Their win in 2006 was based on an amazing performance from Gianluigi Buffon and a lot of practice taking penalty kicks. However, redemption for my little personal world came today when New Zealand tied the former World Champions in what is already being called one of the greatest upsets in football history.

It started when Martin Tyler and Ally Mccost(the best commentating team in the WC this year) were saying early on that New Zealand's best chance of getting a result in this match was from set pieces. Sure enough, four minutes later, and with a little bit of luck, Winston Reed (who also scored the equalizer in the 93rd minute to produce New Zealand's first ever point in the WC five days ago against Slovakia) tapped in a wonderfully worked ball in from a set piece.

The World Champions were now down a goal against the second lowest ranked team in the entire tournament, a team that were given a 1 in 5,000 chance of winning the WC.

But THEN, about 20 minutes later, Daniele De Rossi, one of the most shameless players in World football, took a dive in the box after Kiwi defender Johnny Smith lightly grabbed his shirt. A penalty kick from Iaquinta and an extremely awkward celebration involving De Rossi putting his fists up to Iaquinta's face and resting his mouth on them and the game would be level.

From here, Italian players tried every trick in the book, they practically cried if a New Zealander touched them.

New Zealand's back line, particularly Ryan Nelson, defended as if their lives depended on it, and well deserved the result.

This to me was the penultimate example of why Italy is the most unimpressive, shameless, and frankly dirty teams amongst the big European sides.

On the Opening Round of the Group Stage: What I've observed.

So we've seen the first 16 games of the WC, we've had one good look at every team that is playing in the tournament this year. These are my observations from the precedings thus far:

Goalkeepers: Doing fine. I'm really tired of the media circus surrounding goalkeeper "errors." So Rob Green fumbled a ball, Algeria's keeper misplayed a ball, and Paraguay's keeper came out too early on a corner. Who cares? Aren't goals what we want to see anyway?

Also, no one is talking about the keepers who have had great performances. Nigeria's goalie Vincent Enyeama stopped Messi four times when the ball would have surely gone in the top corner. Japan's goalie played like an absolute hero against Cameroon, taking a hard fall on his tailbone and finishing the match. Tim Howard...is just incredible.

If the keepers have made errors, they have more than made up for it in their individual performance, and I say again: since when does an audience mind when goals are scored?

2. Jubulani Ball: Piece of crap. I know that this is kind of a cliche topic, but it has to be said. It seems that the complaints of players about this ball are well warranted. It flies way too far, it nearly impossible to curve (it seems) and takes some very odd bounces. Most of these players are used to just playing with something that looks round, this "technological achievement" of a "perfectly round ball" has them all caught off guard, and no one has quite been able to tame it.

3. The Far East: Surprising everyone. South Korea, for a couple of days, was the only team to get more than one goal in a game. They seemed to just cut swathes through Greece, who was certainly struggling, but the performance was impressive nonetheless. Then Japan destroyed the hopes one of Africa's main teams, Cameroon. But they certainly haven't stolen these games.

Kisuke Honda, for Japan, was perhaps one of the most exciting players to watch on the ball we've seen so far. His goal was one of the coolest I've seen yet.

North Korea, even though they didn't win, did extremely well against Brazil, and were even able to get a goal out of the contest. The two goals scored on them were hardly contestable as well, as the first was some kind of miracle, and the second was such an impressive display of skill that I can't think of a team that would have been able to stop it. It certainly seems as though the Far East are capable of surprising someone in this tournament, perhaps we'll see that tomorrow when South Korea takes on Argentina.

4. Big name teams: Unable to deliver. Italy ties Paraguay. Spain loses to Switzerland. France ties Uruguay. England ties the United States. Brazil wins by a goal over North Korea. Portugal ties Ivory Coast. It seems as if none of the big teams that have qualified in this tournament, other than Germany and Holland, who we'll get to later, have been able to really get a handle on their game. The majority of them just look like another team. Even Spain, despite an extremely impressive passing display, were unable to get that finishing stroke working.

5. Germany, Holland, and Argentina: The front runners. If not for an extremely impressive performance by Nigeria's goalkeeper, Argentina would have won their opening game 4-0 just as Germany did so impresssivly against Australia.

Holland have played their most difficult game in their group, so you have to believe that they will be able to rack up the goals.

Germany looked...immaculate in their game. They were even able to get a struggling Miroslav Klose to score. These seem to be the teams in the driver's seat at this point. Two are expected (Argentina and Holland) and one was perhaps underestimated by me, but should have been expected (Germany).

6. Cristiano Ronaldo: A douche. ...That's really it for that one.

7. Fabio Capello: Still an idiot. Capello decided to play Ledley King at centre back to replace injured Rio Ferdinand. The more than capable Upson was on the bench, sitting there. King is quite injury prone, and was barely cleared to even play in the tournament. King got horribly injured in the match against the U.S. and is now out of the WC. So Capello has managed to oust two centre backs thus far. 2 down, 21 players to go, right Fabio!

8. Diego Forlan: The Big Bad Wolf is howling. The only player to accrue more than one goal thus far, Forlan was the orchestrator of Uruguay's route of South Africa today. He's my favorite player, he didn't let me down today, and it's looking great for his team to advance into the next round (perhaps farther).

These are my findings from this opening round. Have some of your own? 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 United States: What we learned today.

I thought I'd wrote a post that just summed up what I thought the U.S. team should take away from their opening tie against England. I would like to preface this post by saying I am extremely happy with the result, and am very proud of the American side. That said, let's look at what we now know from watching this game:

1. Robbie Findley shouldn't start. Ever. Robbie Findley is a youngster who has just broken unto the scene because of his "speed." Quite frankly, I'm growing more and more unimpressed with forward known for their speed, especially, in Findley's case at least, when that is their only attribute. Even more frankly, Altidore used his speed much more impressively with that one great chance he had late in the first half, getting around Jamie Carragher and just missing a shot that bounced off the post. Findley is just fast. He can't carry the ball at all. Kind of like...Theo Walcott. That's not a good comparison, in my book.

Findley messed up almost every touch he had on the ball, particularly his first one, and his passing throughout was pretty dismal. It seemed like every time the U.S. lost the ball, it was all his fault. He needs to be replaced with Buddle, or perhaps even Herculez Gomez. Both have proven how potent they can be, especially in the goal scoring department.

In short, Findley's speed can come in handy as a substitute late in the game when defenders are tired, but having him start is a recipe for bad chemistry and ball movement.

2. Tim Howard is a champ. If you missed the game today, I hope you at least got a chance to look at all of the amazing saves that Howard made. There were about three saves that I legitamately still can't figure out how he made, and his ability to hold on to a shot without allowing a rebound has proven to be invaluable. He also took a cleet to the hand from Emile Heskey and stayed tough, finishing the game off.

United States know that they can always rely on the last line of defense, and that's important to establish in the opener of a tournament as massive as the WC.

3. Jose Torres deserves a chance. My other least favorite U.S. starter right now is Ricardo Clark. He was the man responsible for marking Gerrard when they scored their goal in the sixth minute, missed numerous markings throughout his performance, passed like his cleets were made out of bricks, and could barely keep the ball. Clark seems tired, and frankly doesn't seem to be playing with any spark at all. Every time he touched the ball it was like all the air went out of whatever the U.S. was trying. But then, there's Torres.

I only got the chance to see this kid play once, but it was incredible. He's got great skills, passes accurately and with just the right amount of touch, and is absolutely voracious. When he's in the game, a whole new burst of energy is given to the team. In fact, it was his substitution for Clark in the friendly against Turkey that allowed the U.S. to open up and score their two second half goals, giving them the victory.

When he loses the ball, you can see his fury as he chases down the offender and rips it back, and whatever cost. I think that Bradley should experiment in the next game and go with the hot player at the moment and let Clark think about how much he really wants this for his country.

4. Oneywu is back. The media was making a huge point of doubting Oneywu's form in the WC. But, if they had paid attention at all during the Turkey game, they would have seen that he was in fact, back. And this game was no different. Oneywu got his head to two corner kicks, and eventually he's going to get one, it's just a matter of when. He also absolutely devoured English attacks. Most of the time when they lost the ball it was because Gooch had poked, slid, or punched it away from them with his great feet. There should be no reason to doubt Oneywu anymore, especially not after this performance.

5. Dempsey, Donovan, and Altidore are in form. These are the three key players for the United States and all three played extremely well today. Donovan was the most innovative player on the pitch, and he made some great passes that would have been goals if Ashley Cole hadn't been in the way.

Altidore made some great runs, showed a lot of confidence on the ball, and also had the best chance in the match to score. I blame him not scoring it on Green's rapid determination to ammend for his earlier fumble, but we'll see.

Dempsey also could not have played better. And I don't want to hear anything about his goal being "lucky." Sure, the goalie fumbled it, but Dempsey still made a great strike from a long way out with a lot of power on it, and that's something to be said when you're staring down John Terry. Also, he proved in this match just how much of a warrior he is. Getting cleated in the thigh, punched in the gut, and falling on his face several times, Dempsey always got back up, as he has always and will always do during this tournament.

6. Bradley is a great coach. Though he made some subs a little later than I would have liked, Bradley had the right idea as soon as he saw Capello's decision to push his men into a more attacking playing style. He quickly told his players to switch to a counter attacking style, which they performed quite well, capitalized by Altidore's oh-so-close chance.

Bradley has led this country where it has never gone before in it's football playing history, now let's see if he can take it even further.

These are my thoughts on what I learned from today's match. Did you see anything, or think my findings are dumb? Comment!

On United States vs. England: Who will win.

We are only hours away and I want to make one last prediction: United States 2-1 England.

Rooney will struggle all game against the U.S.'s resolved defense, and Dempsey, Donovan and Altidore will cut swathes through an aging, injured, and unresolved English defense.

The United States biggest challenge will be getting through England's rock solid midfield game, helmed by Man U and Chelsea stars Michael Carrick and Frank Lampard. But, with a little innovation and a lot of confidence, the Yanks will succeed.

Oneywu (fullback) and Howard (keeper) will need to play out of their minds to keep goals out, but playing against a high profile team like England will be inspiration enough.

England will probably get a goal on a set piece, perhaps a mental hiccup by the U.S. Other than that though, they'll be kept out of goal.

I predict the "upset" that the United States has been dreaming about for almost a year now. What do you think?

On Uruguay vs. France: Who will win.

The other game taking place on opening day is between Group A sides Uruguay and France. I thought I would go ahead and try to predict how that one will turn out, as well as the rest of the games that take place.

So, without further ado, here's my prediction: Uruguay 1-0 France.

I know, I'm calling the upsets pretty often here, but I like Uruguay's chances in this one. Especially considering how terrible France has been playing lately. On top of that, their defense has looked considerably shaky recently, and Gallas is dreadfully out of form. I think they'll have a hard time keeping a very in form Diego Forlan and the criminally underrated striker Luis Suarez out of the box.

Uruguay is also in their first World Cup since 1990, and the country that won the first World Cup ever in 1930 is hungry for a shot at another one. They've also got a lot more depth than they are given credit for, and the Pereiras (Maxi and Alvaro) are great attacking midfielders out on the wings.

They will probably have problems keeping France at bay in defense, but I don't think France will be able to finish well at all. I base that on them being unable to score against TUNISIA and only be able to tie CHINA (with one goal a piece). France is not playing well together, they have great talent, but something just isn't working.

Another thing: Uruguay and South Africa are at similar elevations (in fact, South Africa is lower) and they have similar climates. This is a major concern for European teams whose players come from lowland, moderate climates. Especially France.

In short, I think Uruguay will "shock the world" and eek out a victory against France. Think I'm being too bold? Think there's no way in hell France took those friendlies seriously? Comment!

On Opening Day (2 days!!!): Predicting who will win the opening match

For those who don't know, the opening match of the World Cup is this Friday at 10:00 AM (EST), and is South Africa vs. Mexico. In my mind, the winner of this match will have a great chance to advance and the loser will be out of the Cup altogether.

Predicting this match is tricky, as predicting any match that takes place in Group A (Uruguay, France, Mexico, South Africa) will be, because they are all pretty evenly matched, especially with the way France has been playing in the friendly matches. The only team that isn't considered to be as good is South Africa, and they have an obvious advantage, being the home team. No country that has hosted the World Cup has ever failed to make it out of the Group Stages. That will come in when predicting who will win the opening match of the World Cup. Without further ado, the winner of the opening match, I will also attempt to predict the score:

South Africa 3-2 Mexico.

I think South Africa will take this game, but I think they'll take it very closely. Even though Mexico has beaten Italy in the friendly matches, and is by all accounts a major dark horse in the tournament, I just don't see how they will be able to beat the home team.

This World Cup marks the first time that the tournament has ever taken place in Africa. South African legend/freedom fighter/god Nelson Mandela is going to be at this game. Furthermore, South Africa has been absolutely drumming their competition in the friendlies, beating Guatemala 5-0. They even beat Denmark 1-0, which is a major achievement considering what a hot streak that particular team has been on. These guys are going to be playing out of their minds.

Mexico won't go down without a fight though, and it will be a beautiful one. These are two teams from opposite ends of the world, but in many ways the play the same style of football. Loose, flowing playing style that relies on build-up passing just as much as miraculous individual effort could characterize either of these teams. Expect a game full of last ditch crosses, great ball movement, and plenty of skills on display (particularly watch for Mexican Giovani Dos Santos in the skills department). But I give the home team the edge.

On Goalkeepers: The five best in the world

If the 2006 World Cup showed us one thing, it's that having a great goalkeeper is a major plus in the World Cup. These are my top five keepers:

1. Iker Casillas. Country: Spain.


















I've mentioned the Spanish mainstay in goal before in my post about Mourinho, but the reason that he's in this post is the same as the reason he's there. Casillas is Spain, just as he is Real Madrid. Casillas has been between the posts since he was 7 at his club, and has always been regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world.

There are a couple of reasons why. He doesn't make mistakes, he's completely reliable, never gets injured, and is extremely good at starting attacks, mostly because he can punt the ball about the length of the field. He's also got really long arms and can jump like a freak, so that helps.

Casillas made headlines recently when he was one of the foremost players outspoken against the new "Jubalani" ball Addidas made for the World Cup. I saw the two goals that the UAE scored on Casillas in the friendly and I have to say, that ball did move in quite a peculiar manner. Then again, I could have just been shocked to see the ball get past Casillas and made up some reason why.

2. Gianluigi Buffon. Country: Italy.























When I mentioned that the 2006 World Cup taught us something I meant it. In that tournament, the man you see above allowed two goals. A penalty and an own goal, neither of which can be blamed on him. He is an aboslute psycho and is the highest paid keeper in the world.

Like Casillas, he also plays for a major national club, Juventus. He is internationally recognized for having lightning quick reflexes, fearless resolve, and an ability to get in front of any ball, no matter what.

It's odd to say that the most exciting player on a team could be the keeper, but in Italy's case, that just might be true.

3. Hugo Lloris. Country: France.















The youngest player on my list, 23 year old baby face Hugo Lloris made a name for himself accompanying major national club Lyon to the semifinals of the Champions League this year.

Lloris' story is a magnificent one. A player who didn't even make France's squad for the Euro 2008, Lloris proved himself to be the number one after an incredible performance in a qualifier against Republic of Ireland and, as mentioned, his stellar efforts at Lyon.

A true commander of the box, Lloris is known for being extremely reliable in one-on-one situations because of his spectacular reflexes and good decision making.

4. Tim Howard. Country: USA.





























Yes, I did it.

Tim Howard is an extremely important part of the United States' national team. Not only is he one of the most experienced players on the roster, but he's also known for being extremely vocal about what he wants from his back line. And the much criticized US back four need all the "support" they can get. After every shot that he miraculously blocks, watch for Howard to explode off of the ground and scream at Bocanegra about not cheating up too far, and telling Gooch to wake up.

He's the fire of this team, and in many ways he's their star. He made a run at Manchester United and since then has found a place at Everton, where he is extremely well liked alongside teammate Clint Dempsey.

Howard's a big ole boy, and he won't take crap from any player, no matter who it is. I'd like to propose we nickname him "Mount Helen," because of his hot temper and his solid-as-a-rock playing style in front of goal. I like making up nicknames...anyway, moving on.

5. Julio Cesar. Country: Brazil.































He's only this far down because he's injured, because the Brazilian between the sticks is widely regarded as one of the best in the business. Playing for Inter Milan, Champions League winners this year, that picture of Cesar says it all. He's willing to do anything and everything for his club and, most of all, his country.

Imagine being the keeper for Brazil. You are the last line of defense for what most consider to be the greatest team on Earth. How do you deal with that pressure? Well, it helps when you're effing Cesar. The man cannot be scored on, under normal circumstances. Cesar makes teams work, and when you've already gotten by Brazil's brutal defense, you're probably running out of ideas.

These are my selections for the top five keepers in the world. Think the order should be different? Have your own players you like? Comment!

On Cristiano Ronaldo: Profiling the biggest football celebrity since Beckham

^That is Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2003, when his first club Sporting FC of Portugal played Manchester United in a friendly match, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had a revelation. By halftime, he decided: "I have to sign this boy. He is sensational." Two years later, Ronaldo would be recognized consistently as one of the three best players in the world and was absolutely tearing apart the competition alongside Wayne Rooney. He set a record that was tied this year by Lionel Messi of 43 goals across all competitions when he was at United. His performance inspired this video, and quite a few like it, that became a youtube phenomenon and sky rocketted his international celebrity.

United won three Premier League titles in a row, due in most part in most minds to Ronaldo's efforts.

However, Ronaldo's antics on and off the field soon won him a "love 'em or hate 'em" following. Those who hate him, think he is the scourge of football and represents all that is wrong with the sport. Those who love him, think he is the greatest player to ever walk the field. Much of your clout as a football enthusiast depends on what you think of Ronaldo, and that's saying a lot for any player.

He became one of the most recognizable faces in the world and was highly exposed in the media. This would only intensify the hatred of those who hate him, and would lead to massive increases in the sales of whatever sports drink or atheletic company he was representing for those who loved him.

Ronaldo was also quite vocal about his desire to go play for his childhood favorite team, Real Madrid. Soon enough, in 2009, because of the crippling debt saddled on the United Red Devils by new owners the Glazer family, Ronaldo was sold off to play for Real.

This is where my opinion of Ronaldo comes in, because this has been my first experience with him. Frankly, he's still a goal scorer, but other than a windmill of step-overs every once in a while, he doesn't flaunt all of the "wrap around crosses" and other patented moves that made him such a stupendous phenom to watch at United. Some people say that this is because he has matured as a player, and that may be so, but I have a different theory. I think he's achieved every thing he wants. It's almost like his stint as United was just him showing off to Real, which in itself is pretty impressive. Also, from watching him play, I don't detect his attitude anymore. He puts in a cross, and if his teammate can't convert it, he puts his hand in the air and says he'll do better next time, even if the cross was perfect.

I'm not sure I like the new Ronaldo though. I think I prefer him when he was screaming at refs for not calling fouls after he did 80 stepovers in a row and was cut low by a defender. I prefer when he nails a free kick from 43 yards away at an extreme angle and just puts his hands up in the air and smirks like it's not big deal. He had fire back then, attitude, personality. That was what ignited him on the field.

Now, he barely celebrates when he scores, doesn't say a word to refs, and does underwear modelling on his days off. He seems...well...bored. But this is where the World Cup comes in.

Quieroz, the Portuguese coach, has been laying the pressure on his team from day one, and continually tells his players that he expects them to win it all. Ronaldo has been the most vocal about how much pressure this puts on the players. And being in a brutal group with Brazil, Ivory Coast (now weakened with the absence of Drogba), and North Korea (who prove to be more of a fearless force week in and week out) Ronaldo and the rest of the squad are going to have to be in top form.

But Ronaldo is capable of anything, and he can take his country all the way. All he has to do is ignore all of the hype about him, ignore all of the Nike ads, ignore all of the bloodthirsty defenders who will be hacking away at him, and just shrug it off, smirk, and realize it's no big deal.

And maybe a few of those incredible juggling runs, knock-on nutmegs, spins, and fearless shots from 33 feet out will help, please.

On Diego Forlan: The Big Bad Wolf

This is a special post that I've been wanting to do for a while now on my personal favorite player: Diego Forlan. I have given him the moniker "The Big Bad Wolf" for a number of reasons. First of all, his trademark hair is gloriously long like a wolf. Second of all, he has the strength, speed, and agility that a leader of a pack should have. Which makes up the third reason: he is the leader of the pack. (I also just enjoy ironic nicknames that refer to children's stories).

At Atletico Madrid this season, Forlan has led the team scoring 18 goals in 30 appearences. But when those goals occur is very important. Forlan scored the winning goals in the Europa Cup tournament against Liverpool in the semi-final, and against Fulham in the final in extra time to help Atletico win the cup. Atletico didn't do so well in La Liga this year, but Forlan has shown one thing: he can step up big time in the big game.

This is what makes him the player to watch on opening day against France. I predict an upset in this game. Suarez and Forlan will be going up against a French side that may be playing without Gallas, and a side that could be very unsure of itself. Also, it seems that this post I made two weeks ago was a little presumptious. Because while the French look good on paper, they have more than struggled in the two friendly matches they have played since I posted it. They tied TUNISIA 1-1. And lost to CHINA 0-1. China didn't even qualify for the World Cup this year and I barely know where Tunisia is. I have picked Uruguay to advance along with South Africa out of Group A because of the contributions that I think Forlan will be willing to make. He's an absolutely fearless player, and is so clutch in these big game situations. And in the World Cup, every game is a big one.

Also: he's completely in form right now. Forlan has just come off scoring what could be the biggest goal of his life and has responded by scoring a goal in both of the friendly matches Uruguay has played. But the best wolf is always hungry.

I also admire Forlan for just not giving up. He began his career at Manchester United and was touted as the next big star, but he was unable to deliver. However, he has proven that he was not discouraged by this and has made a name for himself in his own right.

It doesn't matter if their houses are made of straw, wood, or bricks, if the teams in Group A don't open up, Forlan will huff, and he'll puff, and he'll blow their house in!

On African Countries: How far each of them will go

The 2010 World Cup marks the first time the tournament has ever taken place in Africa. This has led some to speculate if an African country will make a surprise run this year or not, as no country has ever gone farther than Cameroon in 1990, when they made it all the way to the quarter-finals, where they were narrowly beaten by England. Furthermore, there are a number of dark horses in Africa that everyone is excited about.

In light of this, I've decided to profile the African teams in the tournament this year to try and see who will do well.

1. Cameroon.














Cameroon is, historically, the best African country at football, especially in the World Cup. Their star player is Samuel Eto'o, who is known for being the fastest player on the ball in the world. They also have goalkeeper Carlos Kameni, who made a name for himself by keeping Espanyol in La Liga this year.

However, there are a couple of red flags for Cameroon this year, the most prominent being the attitude of spiritual leader Eto'o. Eto'o has been publicly questioning his place in the international campaign, and has dropped off in form significantly this year. Added to that, he recieved a red card in the first ten minutes of the game against Portugal. Without Eto'o, Cameroon are going to have a much more difficult time in the tournament.

There are a couple of things going for Cameroon, though. They are known for having great depth at every position, as most players could basically start. This was proven when Webo came in the game after Eto'o was ejected and led the Lions to a shorthanded goal.

They are also in Group E, which will be dominated by Holland, who had an undefeated qualifying run. Left in Group E are Japan, Cameroon, and Denmark fighting for second place and a chance to enter the Round of 16. These are three completely different squads, obviously, so Cameroon will have to work together well and score often to keep themselves in the hunt.

2. Algeria.








The North Africans are a little undermatched going into the World Cup this year, they are probably the weakest of the African countries. They're going to have to be able to bounce back from a friendly 3-0 drumming by Ireland if they want to upset United States or worse yet England. Coupled with a few injuries of key players, Algeria's chances in the World Cup do not look too bright, at least from where I'm standing.

3. Ivory Coast.









My personal favorite African team, Ivory Coast has their work cut out for them in this tournament. Placed in a group with Portugal, Brazil, and the very capable North Korea, Ivory Coast are in what some believe to be "The Group of Death."

Ivory Coast are lead by star player and Premier League leading scorer Didier Drogba. They also have stars like Yaya Toure, Saloman Kalou, and recent Barca player Keita. They like to score quickly and often, and they'll need to do both to beat out the incredibly talented teams in their group.

They also just got a new coach from Sweden last week, although Drogba has come out in full support of him.

Ivory Coast may have their toughest work in the Group Stage, but if they can get past that, they may be able to make it to the semi-finals, or perhaps even farther.

4. Nigeria.









Nigeria are in a similar position to Cameroon. They have one mega giant in their group, Argentina, and then two other basically equally matched teams, South Korea and Greece. Greece is a team plagued with injuries, so Nigeria's real obstacle will probably be South Korea.

Any of these three could advance with Argentina, but Nigeria will have to rely on their experienced players like Bundesliga veteran Obafemi Martins and Portsmouth's John Utaka if they want to advance.

5. Ghana.









Ghana is everyone's favorite darkhorse right now. They were the runner up in the African Cup of Nations after a tough loss to Egypt, but everyone has tagged them as the African team to watch right now. This is a little odd, considering that Ghana is decidedly the runt of a group that consists of Serbia, Australia, and Germany. However, Ghana was capable of upsetting all of those teams. And I say was because Ghana recieved some terrible news two days ago: Chelsea star and team leader Michael Essien is injured and will not be able to make the tournament.

But the team has responded well, and have come out to say that they are more driven than ever to do well. And though they were solidly beaten 4-1 against Holland on Tuesday, analysts like what they saw, and are still calling the upset with this team.

The key match will be their opener against Serbia on the 13th, as the loser will surely be out of the tournmanet.

6. South Africa.










Now things get interesting. No host team has ever failed to advance out of the Group Stage in the history of the World Cup. However, Group A with France, Uruguay, Mexico, and South Africa has been consistently fingered as the best Group in the tournament, with the obvious weakest link being South Africa.

Add the controversial exclusion of the country's all time leading scorer from the squad, and there has been some speculation if South Africa will be the first ever host country to miss out.

However, a lot of people are saying that there is no clear winner of this group. France has been performing terribly in their friendly matches, and weaker Uruguay has shown themselves to be quite a force to be reckoned with. Mexico has one of the most committed fan bases in the world, and are thought to be a dark horse to possibly advance even to the semi-finals. There are no guarantees for South Africa, no matter what the history books say.

This is what I think about Africa's chances this year. Have your own opinions? Weigh in!

On Dempsey, Donovan, and Altidore: The United States' three keys to success in the World Cup

The U.S. has a legitimate chance to really make some waves in the World Cup this year. They should at least be able to get past the Group Stage. But if they are going to do anything at all, they are going to need a big contribution from three men, starting strikers Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore. As we saw in the friendly against Turkey, it's not only important that these three do well individually but also that they work well together. And from the looks of that second half, they will do just fine.

I'm going to profile these three guys to get a better understanding of what their individual contributions will be, as well as how they will work together:

1. Landon Donovan. Age: 28. Club: Los Angeles Galaxy. Hometown: Ontario, California.



Strengths: Pace, a wealth of experience (over 140 caps), two-footed, great finishing touch, great passer.

Weaknesses: Occassionally misses opportunities going for the big play.

Donovan is the poster boy of the United States national team. This is because he has been unquestionably accepted as their best player. He is also one of the only starters for the U.S. that is still playing in the MLS, though he is currently on loan to Everton. Donovan is really the most complete player the team has, and is behind nearly every goal the team has scored, registering 8 assists in the U.S.'s qualifying run.

We saw in the Turkey game how he completely juked out the goalkeeper, and instead of taking an open shot on goal, passed it over to teammate Altidore for a guaranteed goal. This is the kind of selfless play that makes Donovan the key to the United States' success in South Africa.

2. Clint Dempsey. Age: 27. Club: Fulham. Hometown: Nacogdoches, Texas.



Strengths: Ball skills, voracious playing style, toughness

Weaknesses: Lacking a bit of pace, has trouble finishing goals occassionally

Clint Dempsey is one of the most successful Americans to play abroad ever, as he became the first American to ever appear in a Europa Final last month with his club Fulham. At home, Dempsey is the closest thing the United States has to a "beast" in the forward position. The man who once broke John Terry's jaw in a friendly is the inspirational aspect of the United States' team. He is a leader on the field and inspires everyone around him to play with the same tenacity that he does. He can be played on either wing, as he is also two-footed like Donovan.

Dempsey will do whatever it takes to win, and that kind of attitude will go a long way in the tournament in 9 days' time.

3. Jozy Altidore. Age: 20. Club: Villareal. Hometown: Livingston, New Jersey.



Strengths: impeccable ball skills, great pace, scoring ability.

Weaknesses: has difficulty delivering in the final third, makes mistakes and loses possesion.

Altidore is the future of American soccer, and he has had that title for a while now. He's one of the most exciting players to watch on the U.S. team with the ball at his feet, as he is capable of doing some pretty amazing things. He is normally the man on the end of Donovan's assists getting the goals and they will need to dial in that connection frequently throughout the tournament.

With Charlie Davies unable to play for the U.S. because of a car accident, Altidore has big shoes to fill, but he has already shown that he is more than capable. He just needs to remember to rely on his teammates in the final third and maybe slow things down a little.

These are the three key players for the United States in the tournament this year, watch for them to make the sparks fly, if any are going to.

On Argentina: What their 5-0 route of Canada tells us about their chances

For some reason, I have become very interested in the South American side. It's probably because I've watched their five strikers (count 'em, five) playing on major European clubs. But it could also be because they are extremely fun to watch, as they proved in their 5-0 route of Canada. This approach seems to run counter to Portugal's approach when they drew Cape Verde Islands (the 117th ranked team in the world) 0-0. Portugal treated their game as a scrimmage, Argentina treated theirs as a showcase. I wonder which team is more confident now? You also have to admire the differences between Argentina manager Maradona's approach and Portuguese manager Quieroz. While Quieroz is laying the burden daily on his team of winning it all and claiming that they are the best team in the world, Maradona is praising his athletes and, at one point during the Canada match, tearing up in joy at the sight of his player's skill.

There are other things that we learned watching the match though, and I thought I'd weigh in on what I think they are.

1. Everyone is in form. This is a problem that many other sides, mostly European ones, are facing, but it doesn't seem to be a problem at all for the Argentines. When you can score 5 goals on a team that certainly isn't a push-over, something is going very well. Maxi Rodriguez is sure to have Liverpool fans salivating, as he looks to be in absolutely top condition (he scored that first goal in the video, from that crazy angle on the right line of the box). I don't care how much Quieroz wants to say that he's happy with how Portugal played against Cape Verde, they should have been able to score. And don't even get me started on an English side that has won their friendlies because of opposing own goals and penalty kicks.

I was also very pleased that 21 year old Sergio "Kun" Aguero was able to get a goal.

2. Midfielders are going to be a part of the action. This was a concern that I had about the side going into the World Cup, that their star studded forwards would be the only ball production going on, but it seems that midfielders, like Rodriguez, are ready and willing to commit themselves to the team and add a few goals to show it.

3. They are a selfless bunch of guys. I think another concern about Argentina was that their players, who are mostly superstars, might play selfishly and because of that would miss plenty of opportunities on goal. But watching that video, you can see Tevez, Higuian, and Rodriguez making sefless passes to their teammates so that they can get the goals. It seems like Maradona has done a great job of establishing almost a feeling of familial connection on the team. As you can see in the video, after every goal they are all congratulating one another, and, later on in the game, laughing at the ridiculousness of how easy this is for them.

This victory served not only as a showcase of the talent of Argentina, but also helped the team gain extremely important confidence in themselves and one another. They will surely be a force to be reckoned with, and will be able to advance handly into later rounds of the tournament.

On Defense: The top three back fours in the world

It's been well established at this point that a great team is built from the back up, and having a great back four that you know you can count on goes a long way in winning the World Cup. These are, in my opinion, the best three defensive teams in the world:

1. Brazil.



Brazil has one of the most offensively potent defenses in the world, and a lot of that has to do with who they have out on the wings taking the ball up field. These wings backs are Daniel Alves and Maicon (pictured above) and they lead the team in assists. They are two of the best defenders on the ball in the world. Alves is a little young, but is still proving himself as a great defender whose only weakness is that he tends to lose the ball when trying to make a play, but that's what gets him in position to get in those crosses. Maicon is every manager's dream defender. He never loses the ball, messes up a pass, or gets carded. But he's also ruthless and is known for having a flawless slide tackle. Brazil couldn't ask for two better wide backs, and that's part of what makes them such a great defensive side.

What makes them one of if not the best is who anchors that defense in the middle. Lucio is an extremely intelligent defender who knows exactly how to hide is not exactly legal tackles in the box and is the last line of defense before Julio Cesar, one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Juan and Thiago Silva are both also quite good and are known for pushing the ball past the center line, giving phenom Kaka a chance to make a run ahead of the ball.

2. Spain.



This is sort of a no brainer, as Spain has the two best central defenders in the world, Carles Puyol (pictured above) and Gerard Pique. Watching the two playing the same position is frankly a little funny, as Pique, 6'3'', dwarfs Puyol, 5'10''. But the two players are remarkably different. Puyol, as one of my friends quoted from an article, "will put his head where most defenders wouldn't dare put their feet." He's basically fearless, and is every Spanish fan's favorite. The problem is that he gets carded quite frequently and that's where Pique comes in. Pique is a monolithic, calculating defender who's as reliable as he is deadly with the ball at his feet. I recently picked him as one of the best young players in the tournament this year.

Out on the wings, Sergio Ramos is one of the most exciting players to watch on the pitch for the Spanish side. He's got quite a few tricks up his sleeve, and attackers never really expect it, which is also a little funny to watch. Ramos plays cool, confident football, the perfect dish out for the mad lion of Puyol. Ramos is the starting point of every Spanish attack, so when he's on the ball, pay attention. The other side is usually Joan Capdevilla, who is always the pick for a free kick that's too far away for Xavi or Villa to try a shot from. He's got a great cross and is an important aspect of the team.

Furthermore, every player on the bench: Albiol, Arbeloa, and Marchena are fully capable of coming in the game without much energy being lost at all. This is the kind of depth that Spain has all over the field, again, making them the favorite to win the Cup this year.

3. Italy.



Italians are world famous for their defending, and in fact it was a big part of why they won the world cup in 2006, along with magnificent goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. The highlights of this defense are Zambrotta (pictured above), Cannavaro, and Chiellini, but they are all basically the same. They don't push the ball up field too often, relying on retracted midfielder, Camoranesi to get an attack started. The Italian penalty box is the hardest in the world to penetrate, as the Italians are well schooled in keeping attackers out. This is the foundation of Italian football, defend, and then striking quickly with quick-legged midfielders.

On Fabio Capello: What makes England's coach a bumbling idiot

I'm not going to get into how odd it is that England's coach is from Italy when every other major country's coach, Brazil (Dunga), Argentina (Diego Maradona), Spain (Vicente Del Bosque), Italy (Marcello Lippi), France (Laurent Blanc), and Germany (Joachim Low), have coaches that are actually from the country they are coaching. I mean, that makes sense right? Every player has to have established citizenship...shouldn't the coach? And here I am saying I wasn't going to get into it and then I did. Anyways, moving on, what makes Capello an idiot:

1. His squad selection. There are a couple of reasons why Capello messed everything up from day one when he picked his provisional squad. First of all, he didn't pick any of the Big Four. This is the name I have given to Michael Owen, Owen Hargreaves, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes. These guys are the last remnants of the first class of the first installment of the Premier League. England would have loved if any of these guys had made it, particularly Hargreaves. But no, Capello decided to go against his word and pick a player who was woefully injured: Gareth Barry.

Barry had an injury at the time Capello picked him that some were saying would take 8 weeks to recover. From the provisional squad selection point, 8 weeks later would be a full week into the tournament itself. So Capello expects Barry to come back at 100 percent and compete? It seems like every time I bring up ESPN's Soccernet, it's some story about how Capello is kissing Barry's ass and telling him that everything is going to be fine and he'll do whatever it takes to get him on the roster. This is not what England's coach should be doing. England's coach should be out there saying that Rooney's ankle is fine, and that he'll win the Golden Boot this year. He should be out there saying that he doesn't care about how bad Gerrard's season was, he's still the most phenomenal blah blah blah. He should be out there saying that we should move on from the John Terry scandal and focus on our new captain, Rio Ferdinand, who's broken leg has healed great thank you, and will be a great asset to this team. But no, it's all about little Barry.

On Tuesday, Barry was scheduled to have a series of tests done to see if he would be ready in time. He failed miserably. Capello came out and said that he would give him more time. The World Cup is closing fast and Barry is wasting away on the bench when Hargreaves could be in there knocking the ball around with these guys. Also, Barry's injury is just not a big deal for one big reason: Michael Carrick exists. Carrick should start anyway, he's got a lethal shot, and he's just as good if not better of a passer than Barry. But no, Capello has to keep saying that Barry is his guy. I honestly don't think he knows anything about any of England's other players. Which brings me to my next point.

2. He's making terrible formation decisions. Ahead of the England's first friendly match against Mexico on Tuesday, Capello said he had been "experimenting" with England. Let's take a look at what he's suggesting and how terrible his suggestions are.

First, Capello said that he has been working with a three man centre back defense. For those who don't know, a traditional defense includes four defenders. Two on the inside, called full backs sometimes, and two on the outside, called wingbacks. What Capello is suggesting is a formation with only three defenders, who would play much more central positions. This is the formation that makes the German Bundesliga the top scoring league in the world, because this formation allows for teams to push more players up field and make more scoring opportunities. But, it's difficult to really tell if the high scoring is because of the extra man up top, or the man missing down below, as pretty much every team in the Bundesliga uses this formation. Ignoring these variables, Capello decided this would a good formation to have England PRACTICE. And I capitalize practice because practice is a big deal leading up to the World Cup. Because every team basically has a month to get a bunch of superstars together and have them work as a team. Let's look at why this strategy is a waste of precious practice time.

Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson. For those who know who these players are, I really don't need to say anything else. But I will, because it's important. Cole and Johnson are quite the dynamic duo, both players are extremely skilled on the ball and love to push the ball up field and deliver crosses into the box for their teammates. Both have accrued quite a few assists over their careers doing this. Of course, with Capello's new three man centre back defense, these two wing backs would be basically worthless. This is why this is a horrible idea. Does Capello understand that having Cole upfield not only gives Gerrard an outlet when he gets in trouble, but would also allow him to get into the box? Apparently not.

Another reason why this is a terrible idea is that centre back John Terry would be extremely limited. He is also known for pushing the ball past the centre line and starting an attack. He wouldn't be able to do that now because if he lost the ball, there would only be two English defenders back. Which would of course, suck.

The second proposal of maistro Capello is to make Wayne Rooney a lone striker and have Gerrard play as a retracted striker behind him. This is also a terrible idea. Here's why: traditionally, England scores on the principle of "pass and move." This is what every English club (sans Arsenal) bases their strategy around. Let me explain. In a REAL English attack, Rooney would have someone like Jermain Defoe with him up top. Here's what happens theoretically: Lampard passes to Rooney. Then Rooney passes to Defoe, who quickly taps it back to Lampard. Now, while Defoe is tapping it back to Lampard, Rooney has made space for himself in the box. Then Lampard passes it right back to Rooney, who scores on the keeper who is like, "WTF? I can't follow ball it move so fast!!" This is called a "triangle" and it is based on the principle of pass and move, as Rooney makes a pass, and then moves into position. You would think that's how every team scores, but this is not so, as every team scores a little differently.

Like at Brazil. On Brazil, here's what happens: someone passes to Kaka who runs past every opposing player and scores some miraculous upper 90 goal. Because he's Kaka. Or, any Brazilian passes to any Brazilian who then does some kind of miracle bicycle kick into the top corner. Then they do the same thing like five more times and win. This is still different from how Argentina scores:

Some nameless Argentine midfielder passes the ball to Lionel Messi/Carlos Tevez/Diego Milito/Gonzalo Higuain/Sergio Aguero who then does Maradonas past everyone and chips the keeper. This is still different from how Ivory Coast scores:

Get the ball to Didier Drogba. Then you just...win. But then you can look at Italy and it's still different:

A constant merry-go-round of good-but-not-great Italian strikers and attacking midfielders repeatedly get into the box and lose the ball until finally one of them scores and it's 1-0 but it doesn't matter because the other team can't score because Buffon is in goal and no one can score on him. Or, Italy can't score at all but it still doesn't matter because Buffon is in goal and no one can score on Buffon so it goes into penalties and the other team still can't score because Buffon is in goal and then Italy wins because at least Andre Pirlo will be able to score a penalty kick for them.

Back to England. Let's look at Capello's vision of how England will score:

Rooney gets the ball. From here, he has two options, and only two. He can juke out FOUR defenders (see what I did there?) and try to score on the keeper, or he can do a back-pass to Lampard or...Hargreaves. Then he can try to get into open space. The problem is, there's no one else to pinch defenders away from him, so while one centre back charges Lampard/Hargreaves, the other locks down on Rooney. That's fundamentally what will happen. Here's what Capello wants to happen:

Rooney gets the ball, he shoots the ball, which the keeper has to parry and can't catch because Rooney shoots so damn hard. Then Gerrard, who was behind Rooney, happens to be in perfect position for the rebound and puts a whole in the net.

That sounds like a miracle goal that may happen once in the whole tournament. That sounds like a coach who has no idea what he's doing and is about to let a country he normally lives 3,000 miles away from down. Why does he care again? Oh yeah, England is paying him. Diego Maradona came out today and claimes he WILL run naked through the streets in joy WHEN Argentina wins this year. Notice the language, his words not mine (I still want England to win). I'm not expecting the English coach to make statements like that, I just wish someone was coaching who I felt comfortable with. Not just the manager of Roma, for God's sake.

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 Youngsters: Which players under 24 to watch for in the World Cup

This is a post dedicated to the best players under 24 that will be in their first World Cup Finals. All of these players will most likely be in the 25 man squad for their country's national team.

1. Yoann Gourcuff. Country: France. Age: 23. Position: Center attacking midfielder (CAM)


You can basically think of this guy as a French version of Cristiano Ronaldo. He's got the looks, a Howitzer cannon of a shot, and top of the line field vision. He's becoming known for being an extremely intelligent player who rarely makes mistakes and the French are going crazy over him. This guy is a dark horse for the Golden Boot, and definitely someone to watch for in this and the next three World Cups.

2. Gerard Pique. Country: Spain. Age: 23. Position: Center back (CB)


Pique is the new Puyol. The difference is, he's bigger than Puyol, faster than Puyol, more deadly with the ball at his feet than Puyol, and more reliable than Puyol. Basically, Pique is going to be the foundation of Spain's back four when Puyol gets a red card (which he will), and he can't even rent a car in the United States.

3. Lionel Messi. Country: Argentina. Age: 22. Position: Left winger (LW)



























The heralded "best player in the world." La Liga's top scorer. The man who tied Ronaldo's impossible 43 goals in a season this year. He's five feet two inches and would be asked to show some identification at any night club in the United States. Messi's left foot has become synonymous (as every club in La Liga knows by now) with defeat. "Maradona's successor" is the penultimate striker in the world. He loves chipping keepers, whirling around defenders, and basically making football look like a cake walk. You definitely won't want to miss Argentina playing at the Cup this year, if only to see this kid play.

4. Gonzalo Higuain. Country: Argentina. Age: 22. Position: Striker (ST)


Yes, they have another one. La Liga's second leading scorer, and Real Madrid's newest star, Higuain has a nose for the goal, and an aptitude for finishing. A top pick amongst a lot of analyists to win the Golden Boot, Higuain has been jostling with other Argentine strikers Carlos Tevez, Diego Milito, and Sergio Aguero to be in the starting line-up, and most think he's a shoe-in. Though those other three are also pretty great. More on one of them right now.

5. Sergio Aguero. Country: Argentina. Age: 21. Position: ST


Are you going to watch Argentina now? Aguero is a very special player, and not just because he's married to Argentine manager and former international superstar Diego Maradona's daughter. Aguero is extremely skilled on the ball, and has garnered a lot of attention starting alongside Diego Forlan at Atletico Madrid. He may come in only a few times, he may start for Argentina. Again, with this country, they have so many options up top, it's hard to pick just two or three to play.

So those are my top five young players. Do you have other ones? Comment!