Not hours ago in the internationally friendly between England and Hungary, the Three Lions were again robbed by a goal line decision. In this case, the ball clearly did not cross the line before Michael Dawson slid to clear it and Hungary was awarded a goal. Look at the picture below; the blue circle represents the ball's most advanced position.This is a disgrace!! An outrage!! The integrity of the game is disappearing as we know it! Of course it was just a friendly and England went on to win 2-1 thanks to amazing goals by captain Steven Gerrard, one a trademark rocket and the other requiring a bit of dancing.
However, one thing is for sure regarding goal-line technology: it is only a matter of time (hours) before the English press clamors onto the band-wagon and demands it like zombies demanding brains.
There were, of course, other things to be taken from this ill-scheduled friendly. For one, the Wembley pitch held up well aka it wasn't performing like an ice-skating rink. Good news considering it is to host the Champions League final this season.
It was good to see youngsters getting some chances. Joe Hart has seemingly locked down the No. 1 shirt as he deserves. Adam Johnson showed off his cannon of a left foot and was unlucky not get a goal. Kieran Gibbs and Ashley Young performed a young speedy duo down the left flank that cause all sorts of problems.
Assistant coach Stuart Pierce was decked out in what can only be described as a school girl outfit from an erotic film. (In this photo you can barely see his short-short with long white socks combo.)
And, most importantly, it reminds us that the Prem is only three days from opening. More on that later.
Man, we are so lazy that we couldn't even wrap up the World Cup at all and we haven't posted in three weeks. Granted, there is not much going in the summer besides a buttload of transfer rumors and those silly preseason friendlies. But still, we have no excuse.
However, a story has come along that has awoken us from our summer slumber. Chelsea's England star Frank Lampard is being melted down to form a new, golden super-footballing cartoon character: Hello Kitty. Well, almost.
As it says in The Sun, 5000 24-carat gold Frank Lampard Signature Edition iPod Touches have gone unsold and are being melted down to be remade in to special edition gold Hello Kitty iPods.
The Sun quotes a TV source as saying:
"They thought loads of people would want them during the World Cup but the backlash against England was so bad that they've had to scrap the whole thing."
Right, it couldn't be selling poorly because a poor world economy has forced people to think twice before spending £599 on a gold music player endorsed by a guy who doesn't play any music. Apparently even manufacturers of precious metal mp3 players are affected by Lampard's goal that never was against Germany.
Also, if you look at the article on the Sun website (linked above), the picture of the back of said iPod reads "4-500" most likely meaning only 500 were made. Quality reporting from The Sun (as always) saying 5,000 are being recycled when most likely its a tenth of that number.
At least Lamps was trying to raise money for the Teenager Cancer Trust with the iPods, and has already made an upfront donation. Its unfortunate the new profits will go to such a shady character like Hello Kitty, who will probably just use it to feed her catnip addiction.
Wow, what a game this is going to be. This rematch of the Euro2008 final (which Spain won with a first half Fernando Torres goal) features a possession-heavy La Roja versus a high-flying Die Mannschaft. Two years ago the team from Iberia proved their superiority, but while they have remained essentially the same, the Germans are younger and playing to the beat of Jurgen Klinsmann's drum (which was, of course, passed back to Jogi Low in 2006).
The historical playing styles of these two countries seem to be reversed. Spain has prevailed in their last three games by only a goal, whereas Germany thrashed England and Argentina by scores of 4-1 and 4-0, respectively. Die Mannschaft has played arguable the most entertaining football of any team in the tournament, moving quickly from back to front and finishing with ruthless efficiency (those last eight goals came from 13 shots on target).
Spain has been up to their usual business, patiently knocking the ball around the midfield and defense until their opponent's defensive shell shows its weaknesses. Spain will look to reach their first ever World Cup final, but they first must break down Germany's defense.
Here are a few key elements of tomorrow's game:
As mentioned, Spain will need to crack open the German defense, and they certainly wont be able to do it aerially.
The absence of Thomas Muller. One of Germany's young starlets, the gangly, seemingly uncoordinated winger has four goals and three assists but is suspended thanks to another soft and undeserved yellow card.
Midfield battle. Its Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira versus Xavi and Xabi Alonso. Sergio Busquets might be tasked with containing German no. 10 Mesut Ozil, which is no small task as the young playmaker will pop up all over the pitch all game.
Fernando Torres. He has been god awful in every game and Spain's offense only seems to come alive when he is subbed off. Will Vicente Del Bosque gamble on him miraculously finding form? Or leave his rusty legs on the bench in favor of Pedro or David Silva and move David Villa to striker.
Who scores first. If Germany strike first, they will be able to absorb Spain deeper and hit harder on the counter attack. Vice versa, Spain will patiently knock the ball around and the Germans will spend a lot of energy winning it back and be forced to pressure high up the pitch, exposing their back line. Whoever finds the net first will most likely win this encounter.
The pressure. The Spaniards are notorious for faltering under high expectations and are hoping they shook off that monkey two summers ago. Germany, ever a tournament team, have it in their blood to perform at this stage; they've reached the final in four of the last seven Cups.
If this semifinal is as good as today's, we're certainly in for a treat. Germany doesn't mind sharing the ball whereas Spain treats it like the last ball on earth. Two Golden Ball potentials, Miroslav Klose (4) and David Villa (5), have prolific records with their national sides and a nose for big games and certainly will not be taking their foot off the gas now. Nothing says a World Cup semifinal like two countries with such pedigrees, and it is very hard to predict a winner. That being said, my gut says Germany, even though Paul the octopus says otherwise. While the cephalopod seems to have crushed the hopes of his home country, German fans can find solace because, although he has been correct until now, for the last Euro final he incorrectly picked Germany over Spain--that was the only game he got wrong.
One thing is for sure: we are going to have and all-Euro final which means that finally they will win a World Cup away from their home continent. The perennial homebodies finally sucked it up.
Netherlands beat Uruguay today 3-2 in a thrilling semi-final. This means that Luis Suarez, he of red card, goal-line saving, really-not-that-big-a-deal-it's-not-cheating-it's-deliberately-breaking-the-rules-everything-was-done-to-the-T-and-Gyan-shouldn't-have-missed-that-penalty fame will not get to play in the final. All those complainers, whiners, moaners, and sissies can finally shut up about how he should be given a further ban, or be castrated, for his African-hope-killing sending off in the quarterfinals. (This was me addressing the topic without wanting to waste time on a full article. Steve McManaman said there's nothing wrong with Suarez's play, and he once fought his own goalkeeper.)
The scoring was opened with a 41-yard thunderstrike from captain Geo Von Bronkhorst that will most likely be the goal of the tournament, unless some one scores a bicycle kick from outside the box or something just as ridiculous.
Diego Forlan provided a bit of magic before half with a swerving, left-footed equalizer that bent enough to wrong-foot Stekelenburg from 30 yards out.
Overall, the Oranje looked impressive, but not dominating. Many times they gave the ball away cheaply in the midfield. Van Persie, who did not have a great game anyway, looked isolated up top. Usually they are Clockwork Oranje, but the gears didn't always looked meshed as they moved the ball up field as they ground out a win.
On the positive side, the Dutch were very strong in the back. The first goal was a result of giving a marksman like Forlan too much space. The second, coming in stoppage time, was a result of an over-committing young winger (Eljero Elia, though he anticipated the short free kick well) and a good finish that somehow went through a sea of bodies.
In addition, the Dutch will be at full strength on Sunday. Nigel De Jong, who inexplicably only picked up two yellows in five games, returns to the midfield. His replacement, Demy De Zeeuw, well hopefully remember who he is by Sunday after getting his brain scrambled and mouth bloodied by a bicycle kick to the face from Martin Caceres. Gregory Van der Wiel also is back from suspension. Whichever left-sided player they face in the final will be happy not to face Khalid "The Cannibal" Boulahrouz.
The second goal was lucky but well-deserved. When you have that much attacking talent, goals are inevitable. They must find their fluidity if they want to be crowned champions.
The Netherlands is now in their third final (1974 and 1978) and may just finally achieve what they haven't been able to do in their illustrious history. They will have to overcome bitter rivals Germany, or a slick-passing Spanish side that will also be looking for their first Cup.
After watching nearly all of the games in South Africa thus far, I'm having a hard time believing that the WC Semi-Finals are already upon us. But I shouldn't be, this is how the WC always is; short, sweet and full of surprises. This year is no exception with Uruguay facing the Netherlands in tomorrows Semi-Final in Cape Town. It will be the first semi for Uruguay since 1970, having won the whole thing way back in 1950, and 1930. The Dutch return for the first time since 1998, having never won the whole thing, making them perhaps the best footballing nation never to win the Cup.
But enough about boring history, as no current player had anything to do with the previous tournaments, except possibly for Dutch defender Andre Ooijer, aka father time. It comes as a surprise to many that both squads have made it this far, with Uruguay having to face Costa Rica in a playoff just to reach the tournament and the Dutch beating the legendary Brazilians in their previous match. Yet neither side will be content with their success, being so close to the finals. Just because Uruguay are lucky to be here, doesn't mean they'll go down without a fight, we all know they'll use all kinds of crazy, desperate, and intelligent ways to advance.
Speaking of which, neither team will be at full strength tomorrow, due to suspensions and injuries. The Dutch will miss central midfielder Nigel de Jong and right back Gregory van der Wiel to yellow card suspensions, but the good news is that central defender Joris Mathijsen will likely return from his knee injury to replace the aforementioned Ooijer. While the absences of de Jong and Van der Wiel will be tough to replace, the situation looks much more grim for Uruguay.
First, the obvious; star striker Luis Suarez will miss out due to his handball that saved Uruguay and helped them reach the match in the first place. Also suspended is defender Jorge Fucile, while Nicolas Lodeiro is out with a broken foot. However, perhaps the biggest worry of all for Uruguay is captain and defender Diego Lugano, who has been one of the tournaments most outstanding players to this point. The Fenerbahce man went out early in the Ghana match with a knee strain, and will be a game time decision. The problem is that even if Lugano is fit enough to try and play, any slight problem with his knee at a crucial moment will be all it takes for the likes of Arjen Robben or Wesley Sneijder to take advantage and put one in the back of the net. While it will not be portrayed as such, the untimely injury to Lugano is the key to this match, and will no doubt aide in the flying dutch attack.
While the Dutch attack led by Sneijder has been strong, the play of Dutch keeper Maartin Stekelenburg has been stellar as well, particularly in his last two matches. In a short tournament such as the WC, the in-form players are usually enough to take their team though, particularly if the squad is the more talented one. Thus, I see no reason as to why the Netherlands will fall to Uruguay in Cape Town. They have two players on top of their game, and an embarrassment of attacking riches with which to break down the Uruguay defense, who have been terrific thus far. While the absence of the tough tackling de Jong will really hurt the Dutch midfield, the absences of Suarez and possibly Lugano will be far too much for Uruguay and their star Diego Forlan to overcome. The Uruguayans should be applauded for a terrific tournament thus far, but it won't be enough, as I expect the Dutch to tough out a 2-nil win, and march on their way to Johannesburg for the final on the 11th.
Seven games from now, we will have crowned a new world champion at the 2010 FIFA World Cup from South Africa (eight if you count the consolation match). Only eight teams remain, and South American is strongly represented with a team in each quarterfinal game. Europe's three best teams, the Dutch, the Germans, and the Spaniards, will be trying to halt the Latin America onslaught. (Side note, thinking that France or Italy would be here or that England or Portugal was a European favorite is just ludicrous.) Ghana is still Africa's last hope and certainly wont just lie down.
Tomorrow first game is Brasil v Netherlands in Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The afternoon features Uruguay and Ghana at Soccer City in Jo'burg.
Brasil v Netherlands:
RGaucho-Brazil over Netherlands 2-1
Brazil'swin over Chile was very impressive to me, as it was the first time I was able to fully appreciate Gilberto Silva and his continued stellar play for Brazil protecting the back four.In addition, Lucio and Juan are playing spectacular positional defense, making it seem as if a very dangerous and skilled Chile attack had no chance of scoring. Thus, I'm picking Brazil to beat the Netherlands because of their superior defense. In their previous match, the Dutch allowed several stellar scoring opportunities for the Slovakians, which will come back to haunt them against Fabiano and Brazil. Look for Brazil to soak up a lot of pressure against the fearsome Dutch attack, displeasing joga bonito fans everywhere, but allowing Brazil to defend and score several quick goals, sending Dunga's men into the semis.
cornezinho-Brasil over Netherlands 2-0.
As good as the Dutch have looked, they've no really faced a worth adversary and have yet to spark to life. Waiting until you meet Brasil is not a good time to try and light the fire. Both teams play a 4-2-3-1 with fullbacks flying up the wings, holding midfielders to protect the back line, and one out-and-out striker supported by wingers and a free man beneath him. Brasil only has to worry about Michel Bastos (who plays forward for Lyon) containing the quick-footed Arjen Robben. However, by now everyone HAS to know that Robben is only dangerous when cutting into the left and shooting with his favored foot. Push him wide with the help of Gilberto and make him cross; Lucio and Juan will gobble up the skinny Robin Van Persie. The only thing left to worry about is a moment of brilliance from the mercurial Wesley Sneijder. As mentioned above, the Oranje defense has been porous to teams such as Japan and Slovakia, so how will they handle Robinho, Kaka, and Luis Fabiano? Position by position the Dutch are equaled or over-matched, especially in goal, at right back, and center back, and their attack looks frozen compared to the fluidity of those in the yellow shirts.
Daave-Netherlands over Brazil
The yellow and green completely shut down the middle of the field against Chile. Luckily, the Dutch have a player in Arjen Robben who loves to strike from the wing. I think he'll be the difference maker in this one, especially since he has found his World Cup sea legs. Brazil has been great so far, but there seems to be something missing from this group. This is the quarterfinal match I am most looking forward to.
Uruguay v Ghana
RGaucho-Uruguay over Ghana on penalties
Don't expect too much from this match. By this point, teams are what they are, and what these teams have are terrific defense squads that count on only a couple star players to take advantage of another team's lapses. Unfortunately, I don't think either team will provide the lapses necessary for the other to score. I could look pretty dumb if Johnathan Mensahs yellow card suspension ends up hurting Ghana's defense, but I think they have enough quality to make up for it. And on the other end; as much as it hurts to say, Diego Lugnao and Uruguay have much more quality at the back than the U.S. and simply won't allow Ghana to strike right up the middle. So why Uruguay on pk's? It's just a hunch, or perhaps I'm still remembering their U-20 side wasn't that great at them despite beating Brazil for the championship last summer.
cornezinho-Ghana over Uruguay 2-1
This could be a boring game. Stifling defenses, packed midfielders, and strikers waiting to spring the counter attack. Despite some structure from their Serbian coach, Milovan Rajevac, Ghana is prone to making errors in marking at the back, and when you hand Diego Forlan one of those opportunities he will punish you (unlike Robbie Findley). That being said, Ghana has some solid option going forward. Asamoah Gyan is in good form, Kevin-Prince Boateng will be fit for the game, and Prince Tagoe should be back to start. They are missing Jonathan Mensah and Andre Ayew in the back and middle, respectively, but have plenty of suitable replacements in Lee Addy, Sulley Muntari, and Stephen Appiah. The Black Stars will do just enough things right to be the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal.
Daave-Uruguay over Ghana
I have been surprised about how passive Ghana has been at times in this tournament. It seems as if they rely to much on the counterattack. That may work against pressing teams with weaker defenses such as the USA and Australia, but Uruguay has only allowed one goal in the tournament and Diego Lugano has been rock solid in the back. The absence of Andre Ayew and Jonathan Mensah (both with suspension) doesn't help.
Come back tomorrow for reviews of Saturday's games
There were some great games, and some not so great games, but 16 teams have become 8 and we are 11 days away from crowning a new world champion. Our predictions weren't on the blogosphere but on paper (and we would lie and change them, otherwise we wouldn't be the Most Honest Footy Blog*) so lets see how we did.
Uruguay beat South Korea during a rain-soaked affair that forced the few supporters to ride it out under the shelter of the stadium. A brilliant goal by Luis Suarez sent the South Americans through the the quarterfinals.
RGaucho- Uruguay, cornezinho-Uruguay, Daave-Uruguay. No surprises here.
Ghana ended the USA hopes of a deep run with a 2-1 victory in extra time. The USA again conceded two sloppy, early goals (first at the start of the game, then at the start of extra time). Ghana displayed their dominance with how effortlessly they pressured the ball and were clearly not as spent at the end of the 120 minutes.
RGaucho-USA, cornezinho-USA, Daave-USA. It would not be worth predicting correctly that Ghana would win, had to go with our boys.
Germany maintained their dominance over England in cup competitions with a 4-1 thrashing. Sure Lampard was denied a goal thanks to the ref seemingly falling for an optical illusion, but there was no question that the young Germans were superior to the listless Three Lions.
RGaucho-Germany, cornezinho-Germany, Daave-Germany. All the cards were in their favor. England squeaked through the group and Germany exposed them.
Argentina handled Mexico with ease in a 3-1 victory. Carlos Tevez's first goal was offside by about two Maradonas (note: a Maradona is a unit of length referring to the width of one Maradona, which varies in time but is now approximately 3 feet.) However, Mexico then handed a goal to Gonzalo Higuain before Carlos Tevez rifled in a shot that required no questioning.
RGaucho-Argentina, cornezinho-Argentina, Daave-Argentina. You had to know we wouldn't back Mexico, especially against such talent. And they knocked them out in this round four years ago.
The Netherlands dispatched the Slovaks with ease with goals from Robben and Sneijder. Slovakie blew some good chances and were able to pull one back with a meaningless penalty with the last kick of the game.
RGaucho- Netherlands, cornezinho-Netherlands, Daave-Netherlands. This was pretty straight forward.
Brasil cruised past Chile with a 3-0 performance. Chile went toe to toe for the first 33 minutes, but Juan's header goal off a corner killed their drive and Luis Fabiano danced past the defense and keeper just five minutes later.
RGaucho-Brasil, cornezinho-Brasil, Daave-Brasil. We all loved Chile's aggressive offense and quirky 3-3-1-3 formation, but getting past the canary yellow juggernaut was never going to happen.
Paraguay edged out Japan on penalties in what was an incredibly boring game. Neither team really deserved to win, and if Yuichi Komano hadn't fired his spot kick off the crossbar then they might still be going.
RGaucho-Japan, cornezinho-Paraguay, Daave-Paraguay. It really was a flip of the coin.
Spain passed their way past Portugal with a one-nil victory thank to David Villa, but La Roja Furia also showed their ability to grind out a win against a team only set on defense. Portugal's captain and diva, Cristiano Ronaldo, spent more time attacking the turf while pouting then attacking the Spanish net.
RGaucho-Spain. cornezinho-Spain, Daave-Spain. Portugal had the quality to win, but were disconnected going forward for the past 7 months.
Totals: RGaucho-6/8, cornezinho-7/8, Daave-7/8. Granted, most of the match-ups were pretty easy to call. Lets see how well we do for the quarterfinals.
*not an actual award, but we definitely would win it.
England crashed out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa at the hands of the Germans, and suffered the usual blitzing of their media. Much of their hopes relied on young Wayne Rooney after his inspiring season with Manchester United, but Wazza was hopeless in South Africa and will certainly want to forget it all very soon.
Much hoopla was also made about a North Korean forward, one Jong Tae-Se aka the People's Wayne Rooney. And while a comparison between these two forwards seems very generous for the one from the Far East, they are actually quite similar (click for a clearer image).
In their World Cup campaigns, Tae-Se showed up Rooney by providing the assist for his country's only goal. Maybe now we should call Rooney the "British Jong Tae-Se."
I know I'm a little late with this, but here are my personal highlights and lowlights of the first 48 games of the Cup.
Best Player of the Group: Group A - Diego Forlan, Uruguay - My man crush on Diego Forlan has been cultivated through the first three games into full on admiration. He controlled pace and tempo in all three group stage matches and had one of the goals of the tournament.
Group B - Lionel Messi, Argentina - Agreeing with the majority here. Even though he hasn't put one in the net, Messi has been brilliant. His runs/passes have set up most of the opportunities for Los Albicelestes.
Group C - Tim Howard, United States - Far and away the Man of the Match against England, and it was his presence of mind (and not to mention his cannon of an arm) that set up the famous goal that put the Yanks through.
Group D - Mesut Özil, Germany - One of the best young players of the tournament so far. He has made some great runs and some slick passes. The winner against Ghana is a goal that few in football can make. This kid has a bright future.
Group E - Keisuke Honda, Japan - Honda showed flashes in the Champions League with CSKA Moscow, but his performance thus far has the soccer world at full rapture. This stunning goal against Denmark has cemented his reputation as one of the world's preeminent free kick artists.
Group F - Mark Paston, New Zealand - Paston was rock solid in goal for a New Zealand side that punched above its weight. The Wellington Phoenix player was tested with a barrage of shots in the last half hour against Italy and he passed with flying colors.
Group G - Maicon, Brazil - Maicon was all over the field in all three Group G games for a Brazil squad that has not shown its full potential yet. Was his goal against North Korea intended to be a cross? I say we stop asking and just admire one of the better strikes we've seen this year.
Group H - David Villa, Spain - The legend continues. If not for the missed PK against Honduras, he'd be the pole sitter for the Golden Boot heading into the Round of 16.
Biggest Disappointment: Group A - France - Although I picked Les Bleus to make it to the quarterfinals, I have to say that I have enjoyed the French meltdown. We all knew this team was dysfunctional, but I don't think anyone imagined things to get to this level.
Group B - Sani Kaita, Nigeria - After Keita's red card, which is something you would see in U-10's, things just fell apart for Nigeria. (Pun 100% Intended)
Group C - John Terry, England - Terry has been unremarkable in a position where England needs to step up. Trying and then failing to stage a coup against his coach is the cherry on top of this shit sundae.
Group D - Serbia's Strikeforce - I expected bigger things from the Serbian attack, especially against the vulnerable back lines of Australia and Ghana. Why they became so passive when Germany went down to 10 men is something I'll never figure out.
Group E - Jon Dahl Tomasson, Denmark - Tomasson had easily the worst individual performance of the group stage against Japan. The 33 year old seemed desperate to become Denmark's top all time scorer and it cost his team dearly. An embarrassing way for a Danish legend to go out.
Group F - Daniele De Rossi, Italy - De Rossi literally gave away goals to Slovakia. His performance in the game that mattered most for the Azzurri was emplematic of the defending champion's performance as a whole in this tournament.
Group G - Ivory Coast - I expected more fire and motivation for a team that was heavily hyped heading into the tournament. Then again, this is a side lead by Sven-Goran Eriksson. (I pray that he doesn't take the Fulham post if Hodgson leaves for Liverpool.)
Group H - Vicente del Bosque, Spain - I can't blame Fernando Torres and Humberto Suazo, two of the more disappointing players in this group, because both are coming off injuries that have prevented them from playing a full 90 minutes in months so my disappointing figure is the Spanish skipper. In a group where goal differential was life or death, del Bosque seemed content to just pass the ball around, a la Arriaga and Arriaga II.
Funniest Moment: The intensity of Fabio Capello
Best XI: (4-5-1) GK - Tim Howard, USA D - Diego Lugano, Uruguay D - Ricardo Carvalho, Portugal D - Lucio, Brazil D - Nadir Belhadj, Algeria MF - Keisuke Honda, Japan MF - Mesut Özil, Germany MF - Landon Donovan, USA MF - Lionel Messi, Argentina MF - Diego Forlan, Uruguay ST - David Villa, Spain
Quick Round of 16 Predictions: Uruguay over South Korea (I know I am posting this after the completion of this match, but I had Uruguay all along, trust me) USA over Ghana Netherlands over Slovakia Brazil over Chile (in extra time) Germany over England (I think this one is destined for PKs) Argentina over Mexico Paraguay over Japan Spain over Portugal (PKs)
The United States topped their group with a thrilling one-nil win over Algeria just before the stroke of midnight. Ghana limped in with a loss to Germany but, thanks to Australia's upset of Serbia, advanced on goal differential. Saturday in Rustenburg at Royal Bafokeng stadium they'll square off in the second match of the round of 16.
First we flash back to 2006 in Nuremberg, Germany. In the last game of Group E, we would advance with a win (and an Italy win, which happened) over Ghana. In a soft performance by the USA that rounded out a terrible campaign, we crashed out with a 1-2 loss.
Fast forward to now: Claudio Reyna and his creaking bones are gone and Onyewu is four years more mature. The Yanks are coming with a ton of momentum, having put together some of their best showings ever starting with the second half against Slovenia. Landon Donovan has finally come of age and is ready to exorcise the demons of 2006, and for the first time soccer is not just a small blip on the United States' sports radar.
On the other hand, the Black Stars are on a downward slope; after starting with a win over Serbia, they tied a ten man Australia and then lost to the Germans. They do have one advantage: as the last African team left, the whole continent is behind them.
But just how good is this home field "advantage"? People expected Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and hosts South Africa to have full support of the locals, yet they all were eliminated at the group stage. In addition, the USA has reportedly bought the most tickets out of any nation and Uncle Sam's army has been in full force for all our games. Our correspondent in South Africa bought a scalped Algeria ticket for only $20. You can bet a horde of American will flock to Rustenburg and buy up the remaining tickets to root us on to the quarterfinals. Hardly seems like Africa will be empowering Ghana from the stands.
When it comes down to it, the teams are pretty evenly matched. Both favor a physically intense, high octane game. The Yanks defense has been pretty solid, and Ghana's Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac has instilled a defensive discipline not seen in African sides. They are both very young squads whose players don't perform consistently, yet are a real threat on their day. The game could go either way, and boils down to a few things:
Which Ghana offense shows up? They have only scored two goals this tournament, both from penalties. Against Australia they showed a real lack of patience, shooting from over 25 yards away, which will not trouble our keeper Tim Howard
The USA key attacking players: Donovan, Dempsey, and Altidore. All had great spurts and runs, but often they do it at different times. If they are firing on all cylinder together, I reckon they'll be unstoppable.
Ghana's defense: Their backline is either very young or very old, both of which are exploitable.
Will Jonathan Bornstein start? Its been documented that I'm not his biggest fan. While he played well enough against Algeria, I'd rather not press our luck, especially against the tricky and pacey Prince Tagoe.
Who partners Jozy up top? Hercules didn't look to bad and Buddle ran off of Altidore well, but Bob Bradley obviously favors Robbie Findley.
Battle in the middle: its our two, Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu, against their three, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Anthony Annan, and Andre Ayew. Bradley and Boateng will be quite the battle. Both are hot-headed and rough and neither will back down from a confrontation.
Don't give up a early goal. England score in the fourth minute, Slovenia in the thirteenth, and Algeria rocked the crossbar in the fifth minute and it nearly made me shit my heart. Just once lets not go behind and leave it to a nail-bitting ending. Lets score early and often then shut up shop, which is easier said than done of course.
If the USA plays like we did the last game and half and Ghana doesn't step it up, the Yanks should march on to the quarterfinals. If we come out flat, we may just be packing our bags. But momentum is with us, and we sure play well with momentum. I say USA 3, Ghana 1. Lets not end this dream just yet.
This is a disgrace!! An outrage!! The integrity of the game is disappearing as we know it! Of course it was just a friendly and England went on to win 2-1 thanks to amazing goals by captain Steven Gerrard, one a trademark rocket and the other requiring a bit of dancing.
