World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 20

Paraguay (5)0-0(3) Japan AET

58' JPN Matsui (YC)

72' JPN Nagatomo (YC)

90+3' JPN Honda (YC)

113' JPN Endo (YC)

118' PAR Riveros (YC)

PAR Penalties

O Barreto

O Barrios

O Riveros

O Valdez

O Cardozo

JPN Penalties

O Endo

O Hasebe

X Komano

O Honda

A Long hard fought battle by both sides, who, after a while, seemed content to let a penalty shootout happen. Neither team looked than the other, and the game played out like it should have.

PAR Verdict: Not a fantastic game played by the Paraguayans, but it was a typical performance by them. Not flashy, but about enough to somehow get by. The only team to beat Argentina and Brazil (as well as the only ones to beat Brazil by a multiple goal margin) will play Spain.

JPN Verdict: I wasn't too impressed with the Japanese until their game against Denmark, where they were absolutely lethal with their free kicks. The Japanese played another solid game, and I hope to see football in Asia continue to be a rising force.

Man of the Match: Marcus Tulio Tanaka (JPN)

Spain 1-0 Portugal

63' ESP David Villa (1-0)

74' ESP Xabi Alonso (YC)

80' POR Tiago (YC)

89' POR Costa (RC)

A game mostly controlled by Spain, though Portugal did manage to create some good chances past the sometimes spotty Spanish defense. A moment of brillance from La Furia Roja proved to be the difference separating them from a determined Portuguese defense.

ESP Verdict: Spain is starting to look more and more like Spain every game. the determined Portuguese defense was not eager to allow any chances, but a string of passes from Iniesta to Xavi and his cheeky backheel to David Villa allowed Spain to score the only goal of the game. While they shouldnt be overly proud with their performance, they should be proud they are starting to find their rhythm despite essentially playing with 9 men (yes Torres and Busquets, I'm talking to you). Spain advances to play Paraguay.

POR Verdict: Strong defending and goalkeeping was not enough to save Portugal from defeat against the reigning European Champions, mostly in part due to dismal midfield play. The dazzling counterattack of Simao and Ronaldo never happened, and Portugal had a few good chances but could not find the breakthrough past Casillas.

Men of the Match: Xavi (ESP), David Villa (ESP), Eduardo (POR)

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 19

Netherlands 2-1 Slovakia

18' NED Robben (1-0)

31' NED Robben (YC)

40' SVK Kucka (YC)

72' SVK Kopunek (YC)

84' NED Van Persie (2-0)

84' SVK Skrtel (YC)

90+4' SVK Vittek (2-1) (pen)

A game very much so controlled by the Dutch, really controlling the game enough that the Slovaks did not have a shot on target for 65 minutes.

NED Verdict: Once again, they did what they had to do and played keepball for the remainder. We've yet to see the true dynamism that Oranje play with, however. They advance to play Brazil in the quarterfinals.

SVK Verdict: You can't blame them for not trying, and Slovakia's first World Cup was a success, beating Italy and playing Holland tight.

Man of the Match: Arjen Robben (NED)

Brazil 3-0 Chile

30' BRA Kaka (YC)

34' BRA Juan (1-0)

38' BRA Luis Fabiano (2-0)

47' CHI Vidal (YC)

59' BRA Robinho (3-0)

68' CHI Fuentes (YC)

71' BRA Ramires (YC)

80' CHI Millar (YC)

Brazil really dismantles the Chileans for trying, and the Selecao is starting to find their rhythm. Be afraid.

BRA Verdict: As Kaka's form has come back, so has Brazil's. Stellar creatively and defensively, they didnt play jogo bonito, but they played to win. They will play Netherlands in the quarters.

CHI Verdict: 3 goals losers, and no matter how hopeless it seemed (and it was pretty hopeless towards the end), the Chileans were relentless and still played a good game, though they were overwhelmed. They should be proud of themselves in spite of not being able to come up with a famous victory. Alexis Sanchez is probably also the best young talent of the World Cup.

Men of the Match: Kaka (BRA), Juan (BRA)

World War II All Over Again!

Germany - Winning Massively

France - Gave up

England - Firebombed

Spain - Doing it's own thing

Italy - Imploded

Japan - Beating people up

America - Nowhere to be found

Looks like we need Russ- oh. . .

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 18

Germany 4-1 England

20' GER Klose (1-0)

32' GER Podolski (2-0)

37' ENG Upson (2-1)

47' GER Friedrich (YC)

67' GER Muller (3-1)

70' GER Muller (4-1)

82' ENG Johnson (YC)

Germany dominated the entire game save for a period of about 10 minutes before the end of the first half, where England scored once and had a goal from Lampard that bounced off the bottom of the crossbar, into the net, then back out again which was disallowed. Even though the goal was disallowed, England was outplayed the other 80 minutes of the game, and the Germans took advantage of their continuous miscues.

GER Verdict: The Well-Oiled Machine run by Joachim Low has once again dominated the opposition. All of Germany's hyped young players are playing extremely well, and are looking like the favorites for the next couple of World Cups. Germany advances to play Argentina.

ENG Verdict: Another poor poor game from the English, who are heading home early. Really nothing else to say.

Man of the Match: Miroslav Klose (GER)

Argentina 3-1 Mexico

26' ARG Tevez (1-0)

28' MEX Marquez (YC)

33' ARG Higuain (2-0)

52' ARG Tevez (3-0)

71' MEX J. Hernandez (3-1)

Mexico looked the better side for the first 20 minutes, and once a controversial ruling where Carlos Tevez was awarded a goal from a blatantly offsides position, El Tri lost all of their momentum and began to play with less intensity and creativity. Argentina from that point controlled the majority of the game. Tevez made up for the miscued goal from the first half by firing an absolute laser that stunned the Mexicans for the next few minutes. One of the best goals of the tournament surely.

ARG Verdict: It's starting to look like Maradona has done a very good job preparing for the world cup, but when your toughest opponents are Mexico and South Korea, it's hard to prove anything. Their game against Germany should see if they are actually capable of matching up with the worlds best.

MEX Verdict: The "best ever Mexican side: sure didn't look that way against mighty Argentina. Their young players look very good, and the future of Mexican soccer is looking strong.

Man of the Match: Carlos Tevez (ARG)

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 17

Uruguay 2-1 South Korea

8' URU Luis Suarez (1-0)

38' KOR Kim J.W. (YC)

68' KOR Lee C.Y. (1-1)

69' KOR Cha D.R. (YC)

80' URU Luis Suarez (2-1)

85' KOR Cho Y.H. (YC)

This was a game many thought the Koreans were far superior in, but thats not the case. The Reds looked rather listless and a tad unsure of themselves in the first half, and found themselves a goal down for much of it. As the second half progressed, Uruguay became more and more content to sit back and defend, and eventually the Koreans broke through on Uruguay's first defensive miscue, and coincidentally, their first goal conceded of the World Cup. While it looked like the tide was shifting South Korea's favor, Uruguay immediately found their stride and Luis Suarez struck an absolutely gorgeous ball in the the top corner (in the running for best of the tournament), and controlled the game for the remaining 10 minutes.

URU Verdict: I knew Uruguay would be a threatening team going in with the likes of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez spearheading the attack, which is as good a strike force among any in the world. However they have been stingy on defense (led by skipper Diego Lugano and Jorge Fucile) and the midfield has opened up the game for their attack, and has shown non-stop workhorsemanship, especially from Perez, Alcaraz, and Pereira. So essentially, all the makings of a dark horse team looking to make a shock run. Uruguay will play Ghana in the second knockout phase.

KOR Verdict: A well fought game from the Koreans, showing a lot of people that they deserved to advance, and an unlucky draw to play Uruguay meant that the Koreans were in a little over their heads. They were the better team a majority of the second half until they scored. The Reds showed they have a lot more talent, speed, and teamwork than they let on, so it will be interesting to see how South Korea performs in future world cups.

Men of the Match: Diego Perez (URU), Luis Suarez (URU)

United States 1-2 Ghana (AET)

5' GHA Boateng (0-1)

7' USA Clark (YC)

17' USA Cherundolo (YC)

61' GHA Mensah (YC)

62' USA Donovan (pen) (1-1)

68' USA Bocanegra (YC)

90+2' GHA Ayew (YC)

93' GHA Gyan (1-2)

A typical performance from the Americans where they gave up an early goal, were lucky to escape into halftime only down by one goal, and then fail to score more than one in the second half. A very good performance from Ghana, as they were very creative on the ball, unlike their previous games in group D.

USA Verdict: Another typical performance from the Yanks, down early, equalize, fail to get the true breakthrough though dominating the second half. The Americans were forced to make early substitutions, which hurt their chances as the game moved into extra time. Clint Dempsey showed he is a true threat to anyone, but I feel Tim Howard's reputation might be hurt a little after this game.

GHA Verdict: A much improved performance from the Black Stars, as they showed what they are capable of without Michael Essien. Very creative, very fast, Ghana played like each of the African sides has failed to do, and becomes the third African side to reach the second knockout round, and will play Uruguay.

Men of the Match: Benny Feilhaber (USA), Clint Dempsey (USA)

Group Stage Roundup

Best Team: Argentina. Boasting the best goal differential (other than Portugal's inflated one), El Albiceleste have been dominating their games and have the players to back up their run.

Honorable Mentions: Uruguay, South Korea, Japan, Chile, United States, Mexico

Worst Team: North Korea. I just hope the little guy doesn't shoot them all.

Best Player: David Villa, ESP. He has been truly remarkable, spearheading the Spanish attack, is tied for most goals scored, and has two of the best goals of the tournament to his credit.

Honorable Mentions: Alexis Sanchez (CHI), Anyone on Uruguay named Diego, Keisuke Honda (JPN)

Worst Player: Ri Myong-Guk, PRK. He was my worst player twice before, nothings changing now.

Dishonorable Mentions: Fabio Cannavaro ITA, Fernando Torres (ESP), Daniele de Rossi (ITA)

Best Goal: David Villa, ESP, 17' vs. Honduras. Beautiful display of touch, power, speed, finesse, finish, everything you could ever want in a striker. He recevied a great ball from midfield, darted between two defenders, cut back inside and neatly tucked the ball into the far top corner.

Honorable Mentions:

Siphiwe Tshabalala, RSA, 55' vs. Mexico (also best celebration of the tournament)

Fabio Quagliarella, ITA, 90+1' vs. Slovakia

Landon Donovan, USA, 90+1' vs. Algeria

Winston Reid, NZL, 90+4' vs. Slovakia

Best Goal That Wasn't Actually a Goal: Maurice Edu, USA, 89' vs. Slovenia. Thank you Kouman Coulibaly.

Aging (not so) Gracefully

Italy has been eliminated from the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to just about everyone's surprise. Looking closer though, it seems like an early exit was possible, just not to the likes of Paraguay, Slovakia, and New Zealand. Let's take a look at the two squads:

2006# pos name age (caps)

1 GK Buffon 28 (60)

2 DF Zaccardo 24 (12)

3 DF Criscito 23 (17)

4 MF De Rossi 22 (17)

5 DF Cannavaro 32 (93)

6 DF Barzaghlli 25 (8)

7 FW Del Piero 31 (74)

8 MF Gattuso 28 (43)

9 FW Toni 29 (18)

10 FW Totti 29 (51)

11 FW Gilardino 23 (15)

12 GK Marchetti 27 (5)

13 DF Nesta 30 (74)

14 GK Amelia 24 (1)

15 FW Iaquinta 26 (12)

16 MF Camoranesi 29 (21)

17 MF Barone 28 (13)

18 FW Inzaghi 32 (49)

19 DF Zambrotta 29 (52)

20 MF Perotta 28 (24)

21 MF Pirlo 27 (24)

22 DF Oddo 29 (20)

23 DF Materazzi 32 (28)

2010

1 GK Buffon 32 (101)

2 DF Maggio 28 (5)

3 DF Criscito 23 (7)

4 DF Chiellini 25 (29)

5 DF Cannavaro 36 (133)

6 MD De Rossi 26 (54)

7 MD Pepe 26 (15)

8 MD Gattuso 32 (72)

9 FW Iaquinta 30 (37)

10 FW Di Natale 32 (33)

11 FW Gilardino 27 (41)

12 GK Marchetti 27 (5)

13 DF Boccheti 23 (5)

14 GK De Sanctis 33 (3)

15 MD Marchisio 24 (4)

16 MD Camoranesi 33 (53)

17 MD Palombo 28 (17)

18 FW Quagliarella 27 (20)

19 DF Zambrotta 33 (94)

20 FW Pazzini 25 (8)

21 MD Pirlo 31 (66)

22 MD Montolivo 25 (13)

23 DF Bonucci 23 (2)

Now, the players on both squads are names in question here are Buffon, De Rossi, Cannavaro, Pirlo, Gattuso, Zambrotta, Camoranesi, Gilardino, Marchetti, and Iaquinta. Of these players, only De Rossi, Gilardino, and Marchetti were under 25 on the squad that won the World Cup, and almost all the people I listed were named as starters for this World Cup. Of the older players, Buffon I understand, as he one of the world's top keepers, Pirlo and Gattuso had good seasons, and Gilardino and Iaquinta are respected strikers, thought not as prolific as Italy would like them to be. I know the saying is that Italy's players are like fine wines (better aged), but that doesnt always hold true.

Though the case can be made for many of Italy's aging stars, I'm going to single out Cannvaro, who symbolizes a lot wrong with the team. Cannavaro, Captain of Gli Azzuri, is 36 years young, and though he might be recognized as the hero of the Italian World Championship team and idol to many doesnt mean he's still got it. His form has rapidly dwindled over the past few years, and though he won't publicly admit it, he knows it. Leaving Real Madrid two seasons ago to return to his boyhood club Juventus (who have been disappointing the past two years), and now too far removed from his prime, he will play in Dubai for the money and fame. Regular first team football is always a plus, but when your skill level has diminished that much, it's not right to pick that player over other more deserving ones. Spanish legends like Guti and especially Raul are cast aside when their time has come, and though they might not like it, the RFEF (Real Federacion Espanol de Futbol) does not choose players who do not deserve to be selected for the national first team at the time, the same can be said for the English and David Beckham.

One could make the observation that because of the need for an aging Cannavaro, Italian football is on the decline, many football pundits following club football have noted in the past few years, including the bianconeri scandal and the poor performance of predominantly Italian clubs in recent years in european competition (Inter Milan is exempt from Italian football. . . Their starting XI in the 2010 Champions League Final against Bayern Munchen included zero Italian players). Still, what went wrong for Gli Azzuri?

Their group included Paraguay, Slovakia, and New Zealand. Paraguay, the 3rd place team from CONMEBOL, was the only team to defeat both Argentina AND Brazil in qualifying and was the only team to defeat Brazil by a multiple goal margin. A tie seems like a reasonable, yet somewhat surprising result for the Italians in what could have just been a slow start. A second draw against New Zealand though, was inexcusable. the Kiwis were playing on raw passion, but passion can not make up for skill. The Italians once again looked slow, uninspired, and uncreative. A second draw meant that victory was inevitable against Slovakia, who's best player, Marek Hamsik, plays for a second-rate Italian club, Napoli. Now, one of the reason's I singled out Cannavaro is partly because he was awful at this world cup, and was one of the reasons Slovakia scored three goals, sending Italy packing after just the group stage.

Italian football is traditionally very defensive and counter-attacking based (and they dive a lot, and play rough. . .), but the Italians have always had flair about their play. The lack of speed, creativity, intensity, urgency, but most importantly PASSION was missing from the Italian squad.

One could make some parallels that sticking with veterans is a very Italian thing to do, showing the reluctance to change, adapt, and advance, as well as the Italian arrogance that leads them to believe they are better than everyone as they are. Another very Italian aspect, the Roman Catholic church has failed to update itself accordingly, and finds itself losing members in a rapidly changing environment. You could say, unlike other national teams, Gli Azzuri fit their country well, and sometimes things just don't work out (like Italian fascism). The Italian national team might reflect their country's values and attributes, but doesn't it all really just come down to football?

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 16

Brazil 0-0 Portugal

15' BRA Luis Fabiano (YC)

25' BRA Juan (YC)

25' POR Duda (YC)

40' POR Pepe (YC)

43' BRA Felipe Melo (YC)

45' POR Coentrao (YC)

A very boring match, both sides were content to sit on the ball, I would almost say playing politics to keep Ivory Coast from having any hope of going through.

BRA Verdict: Another unconvincing performance from Brazil, yet they have finished atop their group. They will play Chile in the Round of 16.

POR Verdict: They might have played better than Brazil and fundamentally is was their best game yet, but they failed to create many chances or give their star player something to do. Portugal advances to play European Champions and Group H winners Spain.

Man of the Match: Nilmar (BRA)

North Korea 0-3 Ivory Coast

14' CIV Y. Toure (0-1)

20' CIV Romaric (0-2)

82' Kalou (0-3)

Early on it looked like maybe Ivory Coast could to the impossible and make up a goal differential of 10. However, North Korea decided to play anti-soccer and literally never attack.

PRK Verdict: Another performance expected of the North Koreans. They will be going home as expected with zero points, but to the surprise of many, almost beat Brazil and even scored against them.

CIV Verdict: A game where Les Elephants didnt play particularly or particularly poor, they won, but it wouldn't have made any difference because of Portugal's draw. The "Pride of Africa" will be going home early.

Man of the Match: Aruna Dindane (CIV)

Group G Final Standings

Brazil 7 (3)

Portugal 5 (7)

Ivory Coast 4 (1)

North Korea 0 (-11)

Spain 2-1 Chile

15' CHI Medel (YC)

19 CHI Ponce (YC)

21' CHI Estrada (YC)

24' ESP David Villa (1-0)

37' ESP Iniesta (2-0)

37' CHI Estrada (RC)

47' CHI Millar (2-1)

A first half dominated by the Spanish, and the second featured a lot of aimless play from both teams, and a ball that took a wicked deflection off Gerard Pique to catch San Iker wrong footed for a soft goal. David Villa once again had a marvellous strike from 45 yards out when the Chile 'keeper Bravo came off his line to make a tackle on Fernando Torres, and David Villa coolly placed it in from afar.

ESP Verdict: Another good, but not great showing from the Spaniards. La Roja, the reigning European Champions, have massive expectations on them, and are playing like they know it. They need to shake them down and play their game, because they are capable of running each team out of town if they play well. The Group H Winners will play Portugal in the Round of 16.

CHI Verdict: A decent showing from the Chileans, even if they couldn't execute their ideal gameplan against a capable Spanish side. The Chileans advance nonetheless and will play Brazil.

Man of the Match: David Villa (ESP)

Switzerland 0-0 Honduras

4' HON Thomas (YC)

34' SUI Fernandes (YC)

58' HON D. Suazo (YC)

65' HON Chavez (YC)

89' HON Palacios (YC)

Another bore nil-nil draw we've seen far too often at this world cup.

SUI Verdict: Same Swiss style, same Swiss lack of goals on both sides. Typical Swiss draw.

HON Verdict: About what we've seen from the Hondurans, but they will go home with a point, which is a positive result for them.

Man of the Match: Noel Valladares (HON)

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 15

Paraguay 0-0 New Zealand

20' PAR V. Caceres (YC)

41' PAR Santa Cruz (YC)

56' NZL Nelsen (YC)

A game New Zealand wanted to win, but a draw should be enough for Kiwi Soccer, and it showed, because they never threw men forward.

PAR Verdict: Some good chances, but they never found the breakthrough. The Group F winner will advance to play Japan.

NZL Verdict: Another decent performance, the All Whites should be very pleased witht heir result. Hopefully in the future they can improve on their 3 points, as they become the 4th team to be sent home early without losing a game.

Man of the Match: Oscar Cardozo (PAR)

Italy 2-3 Slovakia

16' Strba (YC)

25' Vittek (0-1)

31' Cannavaro (YC)

40' Vittek (YC)

50' Pekarik (YC)

67' Chiellini (YC)

73' Vittek (0-2)

76' Pepe (YC)

81' Di Natale (1-2)

82' Mucha (YC)

83' Quagliarella YC)

89' Kopunek (1-3)

90+2' Quagliarella (2-3)

Another one of the big shocks of the tournament, Italy was once again the victim of their own unisprired play.

ITA Verdict: Gli Azzuri played without passion and creativity jut like their first two game, just finally one team was able to punish them enough for it. However, Quagliarella may have scored the best goal of the tournament on a gorgeous chip from 25 yards out into the corner.

SVK Verdict: Good play by Robert Vittek to be in the right place at the right time and have the proper finishing touch carried Slovakia to victory, but they team played like they wanted to win, and they did. Slovakia advances to the round of 16 to play Netherlands.

Man of the Match: Fabian Quagliarella (ITA)

Group F Final Standings

Paraguay 5 (2)

Slovakia 4 (-1)

New Zealand 3 (0)

Italy 2 (-1)

Netherlands 2-1 Cameroon

17' NED Kuyt (YC)

25' CAM N'Koulou (YC)

36' NED Van Persie (1-0)

64' NED Van der Vaart (YC)

65' CAM Eto'o (1-1) (pen)

70' NED Van Bronckhorst (YC)

81' CAM M'Bia (YC)

83' NED Huntelaar (2-1)

Another game for Cameroon where they looked sluggish and uninspired and another match for Netherlands where it just feels like they're saving an extra gear for the later rounds.

NED Verdict: Doing just enough to win; that;s been the story for Oranje at the 2010 World Cup, who are usually a much more prolific side. Oranje won Group E and will face Slovakia.

CAM Verdict: Another disappointing show from the African side. The Indomitable Lions did not show off their famed speed and power, and looked like they were done with their miserable World Cup and they will go home with no points.

Man of the Match: Wesley Sneijder (NED)

Denmark 1-3 Japan

12' JPN Endo (YC)

17' JPN Honda (0-1)

26' JPN Nagatomo (YC)

29' DEN Kroldrup (YC)

30' JPN Endo (0-2)

48' DEN Poulsen (YC)

66' DEN Bendtner (YC)

80' DEN Tomasson (pen miss)

81' DEN Tomasson (1-2)

87' JPN Okazaki (1-3)

A fairly boring game despite all of the scoring. Neither Denmark or Japan are particularly exciting to watch since they are both fundamentally sound teams without a lot of dynamism.

DEN Verdict: Bendtner underperformed once again, and sloppy play allowed the Japanese to take advantage of the Danes. They will be going home early this year.

JPN Verdict: A positive showing from the Blue Samurai, showing some free kick expertise off of some sloppy Danish play. Not the best creative team, if the Japanese can continue this free kick expertise they may be able to make a shock run. Japan will play Group F winners Paraguay in the Round of 16.

Man of the Match: Honda Keisuke (JPN)

Group E Final Standings:

Netherlands 9 (4)

Japan 6 (2)

Denmark 3 (-3)

Cameroon 0 (-3)

Group Stage Round Two Review

Best Team Thus Far: Argentina. No one else dominated over the past two games like they did.

Other Impressive Teams: All of the South American teams, Switzerland

Worst Team Thus Far: Honduras. They have been completely dominated in both games, but give credit to their opposition (CHI and ESP)

Biggest Fluke of the First Round: North Korea. They went from almost beating Brazil to losing 7-0.

Biggest Redemption: Greece. They were so bad, just dreadful, then managed to beat a very

Best Player: Alexis Sanchez. He's this year's Antonio Valencia.

Worst Player: Ri Myong-Guk. The crappiest player on a crappy team.

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 13

United States 1-0 Algeria
12' ALG Yebda (YC)
62' USA Altidore (YC)
76' ALG Yahia (YC)
83' ALG Lacen (YC)

90+1' USA Donovan (1-0)

90+3' ALG Yahia (RC)
A game were the Yanks were being tested early and often, but luck was not on the Desert Foxes side. The Americans managed some very good chances, and even had a good goal disallowed on a borderline offsides call. Of course, the Americans have to make everything dramatic, and despite all their efforts and eventually becoming disheartened, they struck in stoppage time, ending the hopes of a positive result for Algeria.
USA Verdict: Shock winners of Group C, The Americans have displayed the passion (and even a bit of skill) that has been missing in years past, even though they have little to no good wing play. With the Americans getting much more support back home than usual, they might be able to shock parts of the world. The USA will meet Ghana in the knockout round, a rematch of the 2006 world cup group stage.
ALG Verdict: A decent showing, creating chances and holding steady at the back, but I would have liked to see the Desert Foxes playing with a little more urgency, since a win could have seen them through to the next round.
Man of the Match: Jay DeMerit (USA)

(I've never been more proud to be an American -Ed.)

England 1-0 Slovenia
23' ENG DeFoe (1-0)
40 SVN Jokic (YC)
48' ENG Johnson (YC)
79' SVN Birsa (YC)

81' SVN Dedic (YC)
A game controlled, but not dominated by the English. While they were finally able to win a game, they were not able to score enough to win the group, and will play Germany instead of Ghana.
ENG Verdict: A better performance from the Three Lions, but not really what they are capable of. Perhaps a big test against the Germans will inspire them to play better and get Rooney more involved.
SVN Verdict: Another good turnout from the Green Dragons, who have made waves at this tournament. They might not be going as far as they would have liked considering their good play, but it was a very good first World Cup for Slovenia.
Man of the Match: James Milner (ENG)

Group C Final Standings

United States 5 (1, four goals scored)

England 5 (1, two goals scored)

Slovenia 4 (0)

Algeria 1 (-2)

A Quick Commentary on Group C: This group features two teams (Algeria and Slovenia) who upset teams expected to be far better then they are (Egypt and Russia respectively) to earn their place in South Africa. Now consider the draw, imagine what this group would have been like if it was England, United States, RUSSIA, and EGYPT. Second group of death, anyone?

Germany 1-0 Ghana
40' Ayew (YC)
43' Muller (YC)
60' Ozil (1-0)
A routine game, where Germany had a plan, stuck to it, and Ghana was unable to stop it.
GER Verdict: A fairly standard approach from the Germans, where they did just enough to win. The Group D winners will play England in the Round of 16.
GHA Verdict: Another game from the Black Stars where they seemed to be relying on getting a penalty kick, which is. . not the most viable strategy. Despite their uncreative play, they will advance to play Group C winners United States.
Man of the Match: Mesut Ozil (GER)

Australia 2-1 Serbia
18' SER Lukovic (YC)
49' AUS Beauchamp (YC)
50' AUS Wilkshire (YC)
59' SER Ninkovic (YC)

67; AUS Emerton (YC)

69 AUS Cahill (1-0)

73' AUS Holman (2-0)

84' SER Pantelic (2-1)
Two teams going in two directions within a short time. Australia started off terrible, but then drew Ghana and then beat Serbia. Serbia enjoyed a brief high in shock win against European giants Germany but came crashing back down to earth.
AUS Verdict: A good way for the Aussies to exit, though because of their rapid improvement, one might suggest they advance due to Ghana's. . . lack of play.
SER Verdict: A disappointing show from the team that had just defeated Germany. They've got a few complaints for the ref, but it wouldn't have changed anything.
Man of the Match: Carl Valeri (AUS)

Group D Final Standings

Germany 6 (4)

Ghana 4 (0)

Australia 4 (-3)

Serbia 3 (-1)

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 12

South Africa 2-1 France

20' RSA Khumalo (1-0)

25' FRA Gourcuff (RC)

37' RSA Mphela (2-0)

70' FRA Malouda (2-1)

71' FRA Diaby (YC)

Another disaster from the France, as they should have blown out, thanks to some botched chances from Bafana Bafana. France will go home in disgrace despite having some of the world's best players.

RSA Verdict: A good showing, very fluid aggressive play. It's hard to say anything though, with the way the French have been playing. Bafana Bafana become the first host nation to not advance from the group stage, despite going out with a bang.

FRA Verdict: Well ,the state of French Sports, especially football is in disarray. Let's just turn our attention to Le Tour de France. Les Blues, who turned more into Les Miserables, were sent packing after picking up only one point.

Man of the Match: Siphiwe Tshabalala (RSA)

Mexico 0-1 Uruguay

43' URU Luis Suarez (0-1)

68' URU Fucile (YC)

77' MEX Hernandez (YC)

86' MEX Castro (YC)

A game Uruguay were very content to draw, though Mexico was not keen on taking any gambles. Uruguay played another game rather defensively, as Mexico was keen on aggressive play. On one of Uruguay's planned attacks however, Diego Forlan's young strike partner Luis Suarez, who had an excellent season in the Eredivisie, netted a classy header from a very good cross.

MEX Verdict: A thoroughly solid game from El Tri, but they were unable to find a breakthrough, in part because of the solid Uruguayan defense. Mexico could make a shock run, since a lot of their players are finding some good form. Mexico will advance to the round of 16 to play Argentina.

URU Verdict: Another defensive showing from El Celeste, becoming the first team in a considerable time to not allow any goals in qualifying, but Uruguay once again showed they have a proficient attack in a strike partnership as good as any in the world, and they are also getting solid play all around. The Group A Winners advance to play South Korea.

Man of the Match: Diego Lugano (URU)

Group A Final Standings (team, pts, gd)

Uruguay 7 (4)

Mexico 4 (1)

South Africa 4 (-2)

France 1 (-3)

Argentina 2-0 Greece

30' Katsouranis (YC)

76' Bolatti (YC)

77' Demichelis (1-0)

86' Palermo (2-0)

A fairly disappointing show from Argentina, but only because it was Argentina. It was a pretty dull match, as are most most games involving the Greeks, who just defend, defend, defend. Once again, Lionel Messi (19 shots, 11 on target) was unable to find the net, but that doesn't mean he's not making some really good runs.

ARG Verdict: A sluggish performance from the South American giants, but Argentina got the job done, and 3 points is 3 points. El Albiceleste won the group and will play Mexico.

GRE Verdict: Another decent turnout from the Greeks, who really turned their play around after their opening match against South Korea. You really have to say that Nigeria's red card in the second match was a gigantic turning point for Greek football, but they will be sent home early after failing to advance from the group stage.

Man of the Match: Martin Demichelis (ARG)

Nigeria 2-2 South Korea

12' Uche (1-0)

37' Ogbuke (YC)

38' Lee J.S. (1-1)

42' Ayila (YC)

49' Park C.Y. (1-2)

68' Kim N.I. (YC)

69' Aiyegbeni (2-2) (pen)

Easily one of the more exciting matches played, both teams were constantly fighting for a place in the next round. Nigeria looked the better team, but couldn't find the back of the net despite countless opportunities.

NIG Verdict: A positive showing in this game, but a disappointing performance overall from the Super Eagles, who more accurately played like Super Turkeys. A lot of it can be attributed from their coach, who instituted a much more defensive style then how Nigeria normally plays.

KOR Verdict: A decent showing, not great, but it was enough to see them through to the next round.

Man of the Match: Kalu Uche (NIG)

Group B Final Standings

Argentina 9 (6)

South Korea 4 (-1)

Greece 3 (-3)

Nigeria 1 (-2)

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 11

North Korea 0-7 Portugal

29' POR Meireles (0-1)

32' PRK Pak C.J. (YC)

38' POR Mendes (YC)

47' Hong Y.J. (YC)

53' POR Simao (0-2)

56' POR Almeida (0-2)

60' POR Tiago (0-4)

70' POR Almeida (YC)

81' POR Liedson (0-5)

87' POR C. Ronaldo (0-6)

89' POR Tiago (0-7)

Well, Portugal got out of it's slump, rather convincingly. And embarrased the North Korean team on one of their few appearances on North Korean State Television. And Fabio Coentrao has the best hair in the World Cup.

PRK Verdict: They lost 7-0. Their goalkeeper, Ri Myong-Guk, is still the worst player in the tournament.

POR Verdict: They beat a crappy team 7-0. It's what was expected of them. However, this should put them through to the next round on goal difference.

Man of the Match: Hugo Almeida (POR)

Switzerland 0-1 Chile

2' CHI Suazo (YC)

18' SUI N'Kufo (YC)

25' CHI Ponce (YC)

31' SUI Behrami (RC)

48' SUI Barnetta (YC)

59' SUI Inler (YC)

60' CHI Fernandez (YC, Misses Next Match)

61' CHI Medel (YC)

75' CHI Gonzalez (0-1)

90+2' CHI Valdivia (YC)

A very dramatic game, with the harsh red card to Valon Behrami putting the Swiss down a man for a majority of the game setting the tone of Chile attacking and the Swiss defending, throwing in the odd counterattack. Chile finally broke through with their 3-3-1-3 formation, and nearly gave it away, but the Swiss game away the best chance of the game in the 88th by hitting it wide.

SUI Verdict: Another well played hard fought game played by the Swiss, who not many thought would even be here. I've been very impressed with their play, executing their style to perfection.

CHI Verdict: The right result for the Chileans, but with they way they played, the game probably should have been 4-1. What really impressed me was their attacking play from Sanchez (one of the best players of the tournament so far, reminds me of Antonia Valencia from the last World Cup), Mark Gonzalez, Paredes, and everyone else.

Man of the Match: Alexis Sanchez (CHI)

Spain 2-0 Honduras

8' HON Turcios (YC)

17' ESP David Villa (1-0)

38' HON Izaguirre (YC)

51' ESP David Villa (2-0)

61' ESP David Villa (pen miss)

Spain got off it's rump and decided to make chances for itself, playing a much more aggressive 4-3-3. David Villa's first goal was absolutely brilliant, cutting through two defenders and shooting around a third to tuck it into the top corner. An opportunity for a hat trick was marred by on of David Villa's rare penalty misses, not even hitting the target. Better now then in the finals, right?

ESP Verdict: A better showing, but the reigning European Champions are capable of much more, Up next is Chile, whose dazzling attack has stymied their two previous opponents. And Jesus Navas has then best eyes in the World Cup.

HON Verdict: Not one of the better teams in the tourney, they held up well and created a few chances for themselves.

Man of the Match: Jesus Navas (ESP)

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 10

Paraguay 2-0 Slovakia

27' PAR Vera (1-0)

42' SVK Durica (YC)

45' PAR Vera (YC)

47' SVK Sestak (YC)

84' SVK Weiss (YC)

86' PAR Riveros (2-0)

A game very thoroughly dominated by the South American side, once again showing that the South African world cup has turned into the South American World Cup (South American sides are unbeaten).

PAR Verdict: Another very positive showing from the side that shocked Italy a few days ago. Just one of the (possibly?) overachieving South American sides playing at a very high level against inferior opposition.

SVK Verdict: A fairly poor showing, but I suppose Marek Hamsik can't do it all.

Man of the Match: Roque Santa Cruz (PAR)

Italy 1-1 New Zealand

7' NZL Smeltz (0-1)

14' NZL Fallon (YC)

28' NZL Smith (YC)

29' Iaquinta (1-1) (pen)

87' Nelsen (YC)

A very good showing from the All Whites, and yet another lacklustre performance from the Azzuri. A fairly boring game until the end, when both teams tried desperately to get men forward and provide the breakthrough. Neither side did, however. The main focus of this match, which has been for far too many games, was the refereeing. De Rossi took a dive in the box, and was rewarded with a penalty for his theatrics. Such a shame.

ITA Verdict: "If you're Italian, you go down. It's the law!"

NZL Verdict: Another shock showing from Kiwi football. They won't be advancing, but it's a nice story for them to write home about.

Man of the Match: Winston Reid (NZL)

Brazil 3-1 Ivory Coast

25' BRA Luis Fabiano (1-0)

31' CIV Tiene (YC)

50' BRA Luis Fabiano (2-0)

62' BRA Elano (3-0)

75' CIV K. Keita (YC)

79' CIV Drogba (3-1)

85' BRA Kaka (YC)

86' CIV Tiote (YC)

88' BRA Kaka (RC)

Another match marred by poor refereeing. Kaka clearly did not deserve his red card, as Kader Kaita clearly dove. Blumer Elano was also injured for the Selecao, putting yet another blemish on what was otherwise a fantastic day for el jogo bonito.

BRA Verdict: Very good showing, dominating on all fronts. Like the game against North Korea, as Maradona put it, "It wouldnt have matter if Julio Cesar showered or not after the game."

CIV Verdict: A tad disappointing, since they are the pride of Africa, and Les Elephants looked like such rather than display their impressive speed that they boast.

Man of the Match: Robinho (BRA)

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 9

Netherlands 1-0 Japan

36' NED Van der Wiel (YC)

53' NED Snieijder (1-0)

A game dominated just enough by Oranje do see themselves past the stubborn Japanese. Holland also qualified for the next round while Japan must

NED Verdict: They've been "struggling" these past two games. I use this liberally since they are still getting the job done, but they haven't played particularly well, as they haven't seemed to fully mesh with each other yet. As the tournament progresses we'll see if the mature.

JPN Verdict: Another positive showing by Japan. Hopefully they carry over their positive momentum through to the next game and the next round.

Man of the Match: Robin Van Persie (NED)

Australia 1-1 Ghana

11' AUS Holman (1-0)

24' AUS Kewell (RC)

25' GHA Gyan (pen) (1-1)

40' GHA Addy (YC)

79' GHA Mensah (YC)

84' GHA Annan (YC)

86' AUS Moore (YC)

A game Ghana should have won, playing a man up for most of the game and Australia's best player was suspended for this contest regardless.

AUS Verdict: A positive showing from the team that lost 4-0 in their opening game. They won't be moving on, but it was nice to see them play with some heart.

GHA Verdict: Such a shame for the Black Stars. They should have easily won this, but a lack of playmaking ability has had Ghana rely on penalties.

Man of the Match: Asamoah Gyan (GHA)

Denmark 2-1 Cameroon

10' CAM Eto'o (0-1)

33' DEN Bendtner (1-1)

49' CAM Bassong (YC)

61' DEN Rommendahl (2-1)

75' CAM M'bia (YC)

86' DEN Sorenson (YC)

87' DEN Kjaer (YC, Misses Next Match)

Yet another match where an hyped Africa team fails to live up to it's seething potential. Even the dullish Danes were able to out pace the "Indomitable" Lions

DEN Verdict: A very solid outing from a team that has no real claim to fame, other than a lineup that never sticks out.

CAM Verdict: Another disappointing performance. Eto'o had one good look but they never really created anything after that Danish mistake.

Man of the Match: Nicklas Bendter (DEN)

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 8

Germany 0-1 Serbia

12' GER Klose (YC)

18' SER Ivanovic (YC)

19' SER Kholarov (YC)

22' GER Khedira (YC)

32' GER Lahm (YC)

36' GER Klose (RC)

38' SER Jovanovic (0-1)

57' SER Subotic (YC)

60' SER Vidic (YC)

61' GER Podolski (pen miss)

73' GER Schweinsteiger (YC)

A game almost exactly like the Spain/Switzerland match, where Germany did it all it could to stop what was happening, but as with the Spanish, it was just one of those days. They didn't receive any help from the Refs either, as their top striker Miroslav Klose was sent off when he absolutely did not deserve though. Lukas Podolski though, shot Germany in the foot, when he tried to be cute when he was awarded a penalty.

GER Verdict: A good showing, but it just wasn't enough. Though people knew it would be hard to replicate their thrashing of Australia, it was still expected of the team that looked the best after the first round of group stage play. Joachim Low should rally his troops well as they head to towards their final group stage clash with Ghana. Luckily they have a significant advantage in goal difference.

SER Verdict: A very strong showing from a team that did not perform up to expectations against Ghana. Serbia is another one of those small Eastern European nations that can never be counted out. A game against Australia should see them through to the next round.

Man of the Match: Vladimir Stojkovic (SER)

United States 2-2 Slovenia

13' SVN Birsa (0-1)

35' SVN Cesar (YC)

40' USA Findley (YC)

42' SVN Ljuibijankic (0-2)

48' USA Donovan (1-2)

69' SVN Suler (YC)

72' SVN Kirm (YC)

75' SVN Jokic (YC)

82' USA Bradley (2-2)

A tale of two halves: Slovenia dominated the first, while the "comeback kids" overran the Green Dragons during the second. Slovenia was set for a shock thrashing of the USA, but second half heroics brought the Yanks level. Another game marred by terrible refereeing, a goal from Maurice Edu off a cross from a free kick should have seen the Americans take the lead in the 88th en route to three points, but the goal was disallowed, and the USA should have at least been awarded a penalty after multiple players were wrapped-up by the Slovene defense.

USA Verdict: Once again, the Americans prove that they can only play well if they are losing. Conceding an early goal once again, the Americans fought back gallantly, creating some very good chances negated by last-ditch defending and should have seen them get 3 points.

SVN Verdict: Slovenia showed that they aren't just minnows anymore, almost completely dominating the first half. The defense was very shaky at times, but when they pressed forward, they were able to move the ball at ease at spread the ball across the entire field and set up players in the middle, where they are strongest. They got tired towards the end of the second half, and were you could tell they just wanted to get out of the game with a point.They'll need to play for 90 minutes against England if they want to see the knockout round.

Men of the Match: Zlatan Ljubijankic (SVN), Michael Bradley (USA)

England 0-0 Algeria

58' ENG Carragher (YC, Misses Next Match)

85' ALG Locen (YC)

Another boring draw so typical of this world cup. The only shocking thing was that this time it was "mighty" England, who have done nothing short of disappoint in South Africa.

ENG Verdict: Well, the normally dominant-in-group-stage England has seen themselves come away with 2 untimely draws, with their final group stage game against not-so-tiny-anymore Slovenia, who has certainly turned a few heads this tournament. The English need to get the ball to Wayne Rooney so he can do what he does best: Score. Which the English have been unable to do.

ALG Verdict: Very good showing from Algeria, who absolutely looked the better side in the second half. Should be an interesting matchup with the States.

Man of the Match: Karim Ziani (ALG)

A SIDE NOTE ON GROUP B

How they advance

United States

• Win vs. Algeria
• Tie with Algeria, and Slovenia-England tie IF England does not outscore U.S. by 2-or-more goals
• Tie and England loss

England

• Win vs. Slovenia
• Tie AND U.S.-Algeria tie AND outscore U.S. by 3 goals

Slovenia

• Win/tie vs. England
• Loss AND U.S. tie vs. Algeria
• Loss AND Algeria win as long as Algeria doesn't make up tiebreakers

Algeria

• Win vs. U.S. AND Slovenia win/tie vs. England
• Win vs. USA AND Slovenia loss vs England AND make up tiebreakers on Slovenia

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 7

Argentina 4-1 South Korea

10' KOR Yeom K.H. (YC)

16' ARG Park C.Y. (og) (1-0)

33' ARG Higuain (2-0)

34' KOR Lee C.Y. (YC)

45' KOR Lee C.Y. (2-1)

54' ARG Gutierrez (YC, Misses next match)

55' ARG Mascherano (YC)

74' ARG Heinze (YC)

76' ARG Higuain (3-1)

80' ARG Higuain (4-1)

Looks like Argentina is back to their old selves, and Higuain had one of his "on" days to make up for his dreadful performance against Nigeria. Korea was rather humbled, and another day goes by where Maradona's image can stay (somewhat) unscathed. Assuming Argentina takes full points from Greece, the Korea/Nigeria will determine who goes through. As odd as it sounds, Maradona was right; the initial cautiousness of most teams caused a lack of goal scoring. Seems like that's changed.

ARG Verdict: A fantastic performance. Higuain showed his brilliance, and another goalless day for Messi will keep people riding on him, but he looks amazing as usual. Argentina is the first team to qualify for the next round, and they looked great doing so.

KOR Verdict: About what I expected, maybe giving up an extra goal that I thought. Still I thought this was an accurate performance from them and about what should be expected from them in any game. They were just overpowered by superior opposition.

Man of the Match: Gonzalo Higauin (ARG)

Nigeria 1-2 Greece

15' GRE Papastathapolous (YC)

16' NIG Uche (1-0)

33' NIG Kaita (RC)

44' GRE Salpingidis (1-1)

60' GRE Tziolis (YC)

71' GRE Torosidis (1-2)

88' GRE Samaras (YC)

89' NIG Ogbuke (YC)

Certainly not what I expected to see at all. After Greece's miserable opener against South Korea, I thought Nigeria would walk all over Greece. Prior to today, Greece had never scored (therefore they hadn't won either) in a World Cup match, so a groundbreaking match for them. Also Greece followed suit with a lot of teams at this world cup playing an extra center back, and it paid off for them. Nigeria got a fairly soft goal off of a free kick where the goalie dived the wrong way on a ball no one touched, but Nigeria made the mistake of allowing Greece to continue to come forward instead of trying add to their lead. The game unraveled for them after Kaita pushed a Greece player after the ball was knocked out of play, getting sent off for it. What no one else seems to see however, is that the player took one of the biggest dives I've ever seen. It was so obvious I wasn't sure how he didn't earn a yellow for his theatrics. Regardless, Greece's newfound confidence allowed them to steal a few from the lackluster Nigerian defense.

NIG Verdict: A disappointing show from the Super Eagles. Enyeama continues to be a solid shot stopper, but he can't catch the ball for his life. They need to reevaluate themselves for their crucial match against Korea. If they and Argentina win, they advance, so expect a lot of out the Super Eagles.

GRE Verdict: A stark contrast from their opener, Greece showed a lot of creativity on the ball and attacking prowess (though they were a man up). I don't expect them to do anything against Argentina, however, unless the Albiceleste decide to play it cool and alter their placement inthe bracket.

Man of the Match: Dimitro Salpingidis (GRE)

Mexico 2-0 France

4' MEX Franco (YC)

45+1' FRA Toulalan (YC, Misses Next Match)

48' MEX Juarez (YC, Misses Next Match)

49' MEX Moreno (YC)

64' MEX Javi Hernandez (1-0)

78' FRA Abidal (YC)

79' MEX Blanco (pen) (2-0)

82' MEX Rodriguez (YC)

Yet another subpar performance for Les Bleus, held scoreless yet again. Mexico netted their first on a borderline offside breakaway on a lovely through ball to Javi Hernandez from Rafa Marquez, and their second on a penalty when Eric Abidal took down Cuahtehmoc Blanco in the box. Very positive showing from Mexico, starting a little rusty, but finding their footing and taking the game over.

MEX Verdict: Very positive showing. Defense held, clean sheet, creative and incisive ball movement. . . it seems that every spanish speaking country (except for Spain) is playing very well. Javi Hernandez showed why Manchester United has signed him, and other youth played well. The elder statesman Cuahtehmoc Blanco netted one of the best penalties I've seen and their prime player, Rafa Marquez was an excellent playmaker. This sets up a very interesting Group A clash between Uruguay and Mexico.

FRA Verdict: What a way for France to ring out the era of Raymond Domenech; completely wracked with every single one of their failures under him. Unable to put finishing touches on the ball, shaky in defense, no positive number one keeper, players being told to play out of position. . . France needs a miracle to come out of this one.

Man of the Match: Javi Hernandez (MEX)

On Spain. . .About that.

Please allow me one moment to just get everything down on "paper". I try to keep my analysis as objective as possible, but when the need arises, like now, I'm going to need an Op-ed.

I'll make no secrets of my alliances. I'm a proud Madridista, but my first love and the team I'll support over any other will always be Spain. I may not be Spanish, but La Roja gave me a passion for the game at Euro 2008 that hasn't dwindled since they won it. I probably like them for the wrong reason (I thought Iker Casillas was really badass when he scratched his balls when ESPN did a close up of him just chillin), also the reason I like Real Madrid (as San Iker is my favorite player), but it doesn't change anything. They're my team, and I'll never stop supporting them. España hasta muerte.

However, Spain's recent high (and a rather low. . .low against the Americans in last year's confederations cup) may be catching up to them. As Phil Ball writes in his article written prior to today's game (which can be read here: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/columns/story?id=796467&cc=5901&ver=us) is a good introduction to the nature of Spanish Football: Fluid, possession football. But there's also the politics. In Barcelona, they hate Madrid. In Madrid, they don't care for Bilbao. Spain is so regionalized, it tends to carry over to the national team. Now that the team is so united, they've lost some of the passion that makes the Spanish, well, Spanish.

I'm not going to lie and say I was dazzled by their play, and I'm also not going to say I was disgusted. However, they did a lot of things right, but failed to finish the job. Their passing was solid, but they looked indecisive in the box, failing to really challenge the Swiss 'keeper Benaglio. Some sloppy play at the back, including odd foot first challenges from Casillas allowed the Swiss to sneak one, and almost a second past San Iker.

I'm still also not convinced with Vicente Del Bosque as manager. I really liked Luis Aragones' style which led them to the Euro 2008 Championship. Del Bosque is a minimalist, and despite the players training (most come from two of world's top teams, Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona), it takes an involved manager to make things right. He got the tactics all wrong, as Switzerland was able to exploit Spain's 4-2-3-1. Spain has been leaning towards the 4-1-4-1, which suits them perfectly considering Torres's state.

How Spain SHOULD play:

---------------Casillas------------------

-Arbeloa----Puyol---Pique--Capdevila-

--------------Xabi Alonso--------------

-Iniesta--Fabregas--Xavi--David Silva-

--------------David Villa---------------

Notable Subs: Sergio Ramos, Fernando Torres, Raul Albiol, Fernando Llorente, Jesus Navas, Pedrito

Will they listen to me? No. Should they? Most Likely.

Gana o falta, vida o muerte. . . La Furia Roja para siempre

On a side note, I was in such a funk after this game. No direction, no motivation, just in a daze. Forced to buy my sick stepdad some pepto bismol, I decided to turn on the XMU, the Indie radio station on XM, normally I don't go for a lot of modern music, but it left me with sort of an empty satisfaction. I heard from Electric Six, The XX, Vampire Weekend, some other random stuff, but Dance Yrself Clean from LCD Soundsystem's new album really caught me off guard (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoA0cTC228M).

A year ago, I never would have imagnined myself listening to this, being the most pretentious audiophile on the planet, but I now find myself enjoying things like Lupe, T.I., CuDi, Faunts, and a lot of other music from the last 5-10 years. Thank you, college. If you're wondering, I'm still pretentious: I just bought Rimsky-Korsakov's Le Coq d'Or on vinyl a couple days ago. Seriously, who does that?

Group Stage 1st Round Review

I won't be counting South Africa's match against Uruguay, but now one full round of group play has concluded! Some awards:

Best Team: Germany. Who else? No one else scored more than twice, and they scored 4 and kept a clean sheet against a solid Australia team.

Other teams that impressed: Uruguay, Nigeria, South Korea, Paraguay, North Korea, Switzerland

Worst Team: Greece. Dismal in every aspect of the game. As harsh as it sounds, they are disgracing the tournament.

Dishonorable Mentions: France, Slovakia, Australia, Cameroon, Brazil, Italy

Best Player: Maicon (Brazil). Without him, they would have been absolutely lost, and probably would have lost. An invaluable player.

Honorable Mentions: Lionel Messi (ARG), Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) (I know, it's cliche, give me a break), Vincent Enyama (NIG)

Worst Player: Ri Myong-Guk (North Korea). If it wasn't for his continued misplays, North Korea might have done the impossible.

Dishonorable Mentions: Daniele De Rossi (ITA), the entire Greek squad.

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 6

Honduras 0-1 Chile

4' CHI Carmona (YC)

19' CHI Fernandez (YC)

33' HON Palacios (YC)

34' CHI Beausejour (0-1)

The "other" game from Group H today, Chile had a firm hold the entire game. The lone goal from Beausejour was enough for Chile to seal the deal, but they probably should have won by a few.

HON Verdict: Not very convincing. I didn't expect a lot from them, as the final team from CONCA-Laugh to qualify for the world cup, though for some reason a lot of people thought they'd be moving forward. Based on today's performance, I don't think so.

CHI Verdict: A good display and a fine start for the Chileans. A strong attacking team with some questions at the back and between the stick, you'd never guess with the dismal Honduran attack. The match against Switzerland should be interesting, but I think Spain's style of play should wreak havoc with them, so anything less than a win against the Swiss may not be enough.

Man of the Match: Gary Medel (CHI)

Spain 0-1 Switzerland

30' SUI Grichting (YC)

52' SUI Fernandes (0-1)

73' SUI Ziegler (YC)

90+1' SUI Benaglio (YC)

90+4' SUI Yakin (YC)

The first real shock of the tournament, for many reasons. Spain, arguably the most prolific team held goalless, and giving up a very soft goal to the Swiss, who almost doubled their lead on another lapse in defense on a counterattack, but were beaten by the woodwork. It just seemed to be one of those days for Spain, who never seemed to find the breakthrough.

ESP Verdict: What's there to say? 337 passes completed in the first half, where the average is 317 per game for both teams combined. The Spanish played their game, dominating possession and making precise and incisive passes. However, they were kept off of the score sheet by continually screwing up in minute manners that proved to be all the difference. What should have been a comfortable victory for Spain is leaving a lot of people now doubting the World Cup favorites. Their knockout round begins now, so let's see how Spain responds.

SUI Verdict: Very, very VERY impressive showing from the Swiss, more known for draws than anything else (How Swiss. . .). They haven't conceded for over 500 minutes of World Cup football, and they showed why. A tight back four, and in-form goalkeeper, and a little bit of luck. They should beat Honduras

Man of the Match: Stephane Grichting (SUI)

South Africa 0-3 Uruguay

6' RSA Pienaar (YC)

24' URU Forlan (0-1)

43' RSA Dikgacoi (YC, Misses next match)

76' RSA Khune (RC)

80' URU Forlan (pen) (0-2)

90+4' URU A. Perreira (0-3)

A match fully dominating by Uruguay, they made the hosts look out of place, and almost eliminated them from advancing from the group stage. Diego Forlan is beginning to show his talents to the world on a global scale (though South Africa didn't resist much). Unlike the rest of the World Cup, this game actually went according to the script.

RSA Verdict: About what we expected to see from the hosts. Not much a fight against superior opposition. Sorry Bafana Bafana, it looks like you'll be going home early, especially with France next.

URU Verdict: That's what I like to see from Diego Forlan and co. Luis Suarez played solid as well, the midfield held up well, and the defense was solid at the back. The makings of a team that could make a shock run this year.

Man of the Match: Diego Forlan (URU)

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 5

New Zealand 1-1 Slovakia

42' NZL Lochead (YC)

50' SVK Vittek

60' SVK Strba (YC)

90'+3' NZL Reid

90+4' NZL Reid (YC)

A rather drab game, mostly because these two sides don't have any flair. A fairly fundamentally sound game, neither side looked in command or generating many opportunities. However the real treat of this game was the first injury time goal, with Wilson Reid netting a stunning equalizer in the final minute of stoppage time.

NZ Verdict: No one really expecting anything out of the Kiwis, and they netted their first World Cup goal to boot. A point is more than many people expecting from this side, and rightfully so. As a rugby nation, New Zealand is rather out of place. Don't expect much more from the All Whites though, they don't have it in their squad.

SVK Verdict: Even thought this was their first world cup appearance in their relatively short history, Slovakia was in command of most of this game, despite a goal from an offside position. A rather disappointing performance though, since many have pegged Slovakia to advance from this group.

Man of the Match: Winston Reid (NZ)

Ivory Coast 0-0 Portugal

7' CIV Zokora (YC)

20' CIV Demel (YC)

20' POR Ronaldo (YC)

Despite all the attacking prowess between these two nations, this was a rather drab game where opportunities were few and far between. Neither keeper was really challenged, and the best opportunity came from a 35 yard rocket from Cristiano Ronaldo that practically broke the goalpost. The attitude going into this game prior to the start was that both teams would lose to Brazil and beat North Korea, and whoever won would advance and in the case of a draw whoever lost to Brazil by less and beat North Korea by more would advance. (I'll get to that in a moment)

CIV Verdict: Cote D'Ivoire looked a little lost without Drogba, but I thought they looked like a very formidable side. The Elephants are always a fast team, and with the full recovery they should be even stronger. Dindane and Kalou can't make for his play, but they were good enough to buy some time. I was also very impressed by the Toure brothers.

POR Verdict: Portugal has far too many starts to have played that poorly. They had their moments, the defense held the line, and Ronaldo is simply Ronaldo, but Carlos Querioz should never have started Danny ahead of Simao. that was just dumb. It should be very interesting to watch these two teams duke it out for control of their goal differences.

Man of the Match: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)

Brazil 2-1 North Korea

54' BRA Maicon

72' BRA Elano

88' BRA Ramires (YC)

89' PRK Ji

What should have been a massacre turned out to be a very intriguing game, where the Brazilians didnt look like themselves and the North Koreans played out of their skin. The famed Selecao under Dunga (who has come under fire, and now what looks like for good reason), looked lost against the 5-3-2 of the Cholima. Brazil finally broke the barrier from a spectualar run by Maicon and again on a through ball to Elano (though the DPRK 'keeper made some rather ignominous blunders to allow the Brazlilans to score). The DPRK managed to pull one back on a fantastic counter-attack coolly finished by Ji. Jong Tae-Se, the North Korean's "star" (a.k.a. "The Asian Wayne Rooney") had a few good looks, but when it came down to when it mattered, he was absolutely dismal. Trying to live up to his vow of a goal a game, he took impossible shots from bad angles when he was in open space and could have created chances for his teammates.

BRA Verdict: Mighty Brazil, indeed. Never have I seen Brazil so lackluster. So much for the coveted Brazilian creativity. I know Dunga has changed the style to a more fundamentally sound style, but the Brazilians failed to adapt to the what they were up against, which is shocking given how much experience is in that squad. Their two goals were marvellous, but were the sole bright spots save for Robinho and the man of the match, Maicon. Kaka once again failed to impress, just as he failed to do this past year at Real Madrid. They might be numerically ahead, but unless they shape up, the Brazilians may not advance with two difficult games against Ivory Coast and Portugal.

PRK Verdict: Despite not knowing what cell phones are, the Cholima played very well, far beyond anyone's (except maybe the Glorious Leader) expectations. The goal keeper was their absolute weak link, failing to really deal with anything, being out of position for Maicon's goal, and not charging on the through ball to Elano. Other than him, I have no complaints with the Korean squad at all, save for maybe they played too defensively at times, but in a 5-3-2, what else are you to do? Their next two matches should be very fun to watc. Hopefully they haven't burned out and they can give their countries people something to look up to.

Man of the Match: Maicon (BRA)

World Cup Wrap-Up Matchday 4

Netherlands 2-0 Denmark

44' NED De Jong (YC)

45' NED Agger (OG) (1-0)

49' NED Van Persie (YC)

63' DEN Kkaer (YC)

85' NED Kuyt (2-0)

A rather boring game, considering how dynamic the Dutch are. Robben's injury shouldn't have affected them nearly that much. However, they dominated the game and played on cruise control, never really pressing forward or allowing the Danes to get anything going. Kuyt netted a classy late goal in typical Dutch fashion, suggesting we haven't seen their full capacity yet.

NED Verdict: There were a lot of question going in, mostly about the Defense/'Keeper and how the coach was going to manage fitting in the like of VDV, Robben, Sneijder, Huntelaar, Kuyt, Van Persie, Van Bommel, and other talented non-defenders. However, they Dutch clearly dominated the game without their best performer from the past year, Arjen Robben, who should be returning from injury soon. When they play more talented teams after they win the group, we'll see how well their back four have prepared.

DEN Verdict: Not a bad showing, they were just outclassed. Another team that shouldnt make too many waves or turn many heads this tournament, the Danes should be content that they are even here when their best player (Bendtner) can't hit the side of a barn.

Man of the Match: Wesley Sneijder (NED)

Japan 1-0 Cameroon

39' JPN Honda (1-0)

72' CAM N'Koulou (YC)

90+1' JPN Abe (YC)

A goal set up very well from the Japanese was enough to award them full points in their encounter with the Indomitable Lions. Cameroon, the favorite going in, did not play well for various tactical reasons, whereas the Japanese adapted very nicely to their opponents.

JPN Verdict: The Japanese showed their prowess in midfield, anchored of course by Nakamura, and contained the Cameroonian attack very well. A positive result against Denmark may be enough to see themselves through.

CAM Verdict: A very poor showing from the team many thought would advance out of the group behind the Dutch. Getting their tactics all wrong, they played Eto'o as somewhat of an attack right mid and attacking players as playmakers. They got it all wrong, and if they are to advance they must win their remaining two games, including an encounter with the Netherlands.

Man of the Match: Honda Keisuke (JPN)

Italy 1-1 Paraguay

39' PAR Alcaraz (0-1)

62' PAR Caceres (YC)

63' ITA De Rossi (1-0)

70' ITA Camoranesi (YC)

By far the best game of the day, Paraguay looked like they could pull off the impossible. They had the confidence, the solid play, and were outfoxing Italy on many occasions. When Mauro Camoranesi was introduced for Italy around the 57th minute, he made an astounding impact. The Italians suddenly had creative drive, and were able to move the ball forward, and eventually scored from a goalkeeping blunder, with the goal scored by the man who had repeatedly tripped over himself throughout the match (Daniele de Rossi). Both teams though played well (though Italy played below it's astronomical standards), and was a very entertaining match start to finish, one of the best of the first few days.

ITA Verdict: The Italians were lucky to salvage a point given their play and comparing it to the South Americans. They were rather uncreative on the attack, and their normally rock solid defense seemed rather porous at many points of the game. They got a point to start their title defending campaign, and there are many things that the Italians can improve on, but most of them showed up in this match, so as long as they keep refining their team as well as integrate starters returning from injury (Pirlo, Gattuso), they should continue to gain strength moving forward.

PAR Verdict: The third place CONMEBOL team showed why how they beat Argentina and were the only one's to beat Brazil by a two goal margin in qualifying. Very solid in defense and a steady attacking presence showed that Paraguay deserves their place in South Africa, and they aren't going home without a fight. Not even fielding their best attackers, Paraguay embarrassed Italy in many ways, and should be proud of the way they played. With games against Slovakia and New Zealand coming up

Man of the Match: Mauro Camoranesi (ITA)