(open the picture in a new tab if you want it to be legible...srry.)The Group Stage is over! And there are plenty of surprises here. I'll walk through the teams that qualified, and summarize the games that got them there.
Most significantly for you, I imagine, is that the United States of America are in! If you watched this game (which you should've), you were rewarded with everything you'd want from soccer - blistering attacks, stalwart defense, questionable refereeing, and a dramatic last-second game-winner to guarantee the States' place in the next round. Algeria were no pushovers, but they didn't really have a chance to make it in, and they played with something less than full enthusiasm. Donovan's goal in injury time came off a powerful shot that the keeper just couldn't hang on to, letting him just tap it in for the finish. America finished first in Group C.
Our opponents in the next match are Ghana , the only African team to make it through. Despite a 0-1 loss to Germany in their last match, Ghana beat out Australia for second place in Group D. I hate to say it, but Ghana's in very much on the work of other teams: If Germany hadn't trashed Australia so thoroughly (4-0), it would be the Socceroos making it. Still, Ghana will be a tough opponent for the USA, playing a very physical, very athletic game.
{THE GAME: Ghanaian Grudge Match}
{SATURDAY, 2:30 PM- A rematch from the last Cup (in which Ghana eliminated the Americans), the USA looks to be the stronger side, provided they can avoid giving away goals early. Ghana may face foul trouble against the aggressive but average-sized Americans.}
Speaking of Germany, they're in too, as the top-ranked team in Group D. Their last game was a 1-nil win over Ghana, which saw somewhat of a return to form after their uncharacteristic loss to Serbia in the previous round. Germany still hasn't looked like itself these last two games - unlike their dominant win against Australia. It remains to be seen whether they can sort themselves out in time for the upcoming match against England, but a core cadre of veterans with World Cup experience (including Podolski and Klose, who missed the Ghana match) may prove the key in unlocking England's defense.
By the way, England are the other team that made it out of Group C, beating the possible-upset by Slovenia with an early goal. It's sort of a shame to see the Green Dragons go down like that, but a USA-England finish is just what I was hoping for. England's play has been rather drab so far (1-1, 0-0, 0-1) - their strikers, especially Rooney, will need to find something if they want to advance. After all, there're no ties in the elimination stage.
{THE GAME: The Blitz Part II }
{SUNDAY, 10 o'clock AM - The biggest face-off between Germany and England since Spitfires went out of style. Germany's offense, assuming they show up, look like more than a match for Greene's slippery fingers. Unless England mounts an offensive of their own, they could well be over-run.}
With C and D Groups out of the way, it's time to look ahead to the next stop on the US' bracket: Uruguay. The tiny South American nation has a history of doing well in the World Cup, and 2010 is no exception, with them topping Group A in a 1-0 win over Mexico. Uruguay's hopes rest with Diego Forlan, by far the most highly-billed player on their team. He's delivered so far, with two goals and ten opportunities. Still, it may be Uruguay's defense that give them the edge: they have yet to allow a goal.
Uruguay's opponents will be South Korea, who have done much better than their northern cousins. The squad tends to rely on short, quick passing, and have been putting up some impressive figures on offense: three goals by players named Lee, and two by players named Park. South Korea held off Nigeria for a 2-2 draw, which squeaked them out of Group B in second place. There are still questions to be answered about Korea's defensive game - they've allowed 6 goals in the last 3 games, more than any other team that qualified.
{THE GAME: Big Trouble in Little Korea}
{SATURDAY, 10 o'clock AM - This match looks to be a battle between different styles: South Korea's very team-oriented approach against Forlan&Friends'(co) one-on-one. South Korea will struggle to find the right balance between shutting down Uruguay's offense while still keeping their attack going. Against the same Uruguay we've seen so far, they may well fail at both tasks, giving us an echo of their 4-1 loss to Argentina.}
Argentina, it almost goes without saying, qualified first in Group B. They've looked very strong so far, putting on dominant performances against all opponents - one of only two teams (the other is the Netherlands) to win all three matches in the group. Their last victory, a 2-0 win over Greece, appeared almost effortless. Argentina is known for their star striker, Lionel Messi, who has yet to score a goal in this competition. That's not to suggest he's under-performing, though: smart play on Messi's part practically handed his teammate Higuain the hat trick against Korea. With a solid chance for a run to the semifinals, don't expect him to remain scoreless much longer.
Their first obstacle is our hometown heroes, Mexico. No matter what Arizona thinks, Mexico's given a good showing this year, with their surprise 2-0 win against France triggering that team's meltdown. Their last game, a 0-1 loss against Uruguay, showed them playing well, but without enthusiasm - a common situation when the outcome doesn't much matter. Mexico has great strength from the bench, with some of their best offensive numbers being put up by substitutes. A line-up change may well be in the works, though I've always said if it ain't broke...
{THE GAME: Hispanic Showdown - Norte contra Sud}
{SUNDAY, 2:30 PM - South America versus North, in a match sure to set record viewing levels on Univision. Argentina is a strong favorite here, and their deadly offense will be a good match-up against Mexico's careful, purposeful defending. Mexico will find their counter-attacking opportunities few and far between, and it will take every ounce of experience to make sure these don't go to waste.}
That's all for Groups A-D. Next up is the Netherlands, who sealed the deal with a 2-1 win against Cameroon. The Dutch coach later apologized for his team's "sloppy" play; apparently his definition of sloppy involves allowing the only goal against them of the tournament. The Dutch have gotten a lot of press for their dangerous offense, which is advertised as the best in the tournament, and features a slew of talented forwards and midfielders. Despite this, they play a very good team game, and do a good job keeping the field open. There are occasional moments of weakness when facing a fast counter-attack, but it hasn't stung them - yet.
If anyone knows how to sting a top team, it's Slovakia. The east end of the former Czechoslovakia won a stunner yesterday against Italy's Azzurri, winners of the 2006 Cup. Robert Vittek, at 28 years old, is the unlikely star of the show, with selfless play and plenty of muscle in the box. The 3-2 nailbiter (with three goals scored after the 80th minute) left Italy in last place and propelled Slovakia to second in Group F.
{THE GAME: The Legend-Killers}
{MONDAY, 10 o'clock AM - The Orange have shown that their offense can bring the heat, but the defense continues to look shaky. Meanwhile, Slovakia have already rubbed out one famous European team, and have every tool in their arsenal to make it two. If Slovakia win, their first World Cup appearance will bring new life to Eastern Europe as a soccer region. If the Netherlands win, they become underdogs for the first time in the tournament: They'll be facing either Brazil or Chile next.}
The Netherlands' unlikely Group E rivals turned out to be Japan, who score the second spot after their 3-1 win over Denmark. Japan's only loss, to the Netherlands, went 0-1, but showed that the Samurai could stifle even a top-rated offense like the Dutch. Japan is, in some ways, the converse of South Korea: though they have much the same focus on ball movement and team play, Japan shines on defense, letting only two goals past them in the group stages. The game against Denmark was a rare view of Japan's offense coming to life, with a back-to-back pair of beautiful free kick goals setting the stage.
Japan will need that kind of offensive spark against Paraguay. Despite being ranked first in Group F, the team won only one match, against Slovakia. Their final game was a nil-all tie against New Zealand, who played a heroic defense and leave the tournament undefeated. On paper, Paraguay appear to be the most defense-oriented of the South American teams, allowing only 1 goal but scoring only 3. Much of that could stem from the group they were in, however: In the match against Slovakia, Paraguay showed its fangs, and against New Zealand were constantly on the attack.
{THE GAME: Samurai Showdown}
{TUESDAY, 10 o'clock AM - This could be the most closely-contested game of the round, and will certainly be an interesting watch. Like the Uruguay-South Korea, it features teams with very different styles, but similar records. Japan will need to play sharply in the mid-field, and not resort to disorganized counter-attacks on the break. If Paraguay is allowed to stay in possession and on the attack, they have all the talent needed to win.}
In a group stage that saw both France and Italy fall apart, Spain was able to keep it together, coming in first of Group H with a 2-1 win against Chile. The win showed that their early loss to Switzerland was a fluke, and nothing more. Spain's two goals came from an ultra-long range shot off a bad keeper challenge and a clinical finish from just inside the box. The second goal came with a bonus: a red card to Chile, forcing them to play a man down for over half the game. While Spain's offense can take full credit for those goals, it's unclear if, had the card not occurred, the Chileans would've been able to come back. As it was, they managed a single goal against the Spaniards, showing that there may yet be problems to iron out in the backfield.
Spain's opponents will be Portugal, a team that has played anything but consistently. Their first game was a 0-0 tie against the Ivory Coast that lead to questions about their ability to attack. The next match, against North Korea, appeared to put that question to bed, with Portugal coming away with 7 goals - as many as Argentina scored in the entire group stage. But then, against Brazil, they did it again: 0-all. While Portugal clearly has the capability to attack, they seem loath to take the risks needed to make use of it. Hence, when playing teams with a credible attacking threat (read: Not Kim Jong-il-land), they bunker down, playing extremely conservatively even when they should be going for the jugular.
{THE GAME: Duel in Iberia}
{TUESDAY, 2:30 PM - The last game of the round is a fight between neighbors Portugal and Spain. Spain has shown they can come out and win against challenging teams like Chile. Portugal has shown they can tie - and there's no such thing as a tie anymore. With Spain appearing to learn from it's loss to Switzerland, there's little hope of Portugal pulling off the same sort of upset here. Defense is out - if Portugal wants the game, they'll need to throw caution to the wind.}
Despite losing to Spain, Chile still made it to the final round, with Switzerland failing to secure the win they needed against Honduras. Chile won their first two games narrowly, 0-1 each time, and lost their last (to Spain) by the same margin. However, they were hampered somewhat by a red card in the first half, and one could still make the case that they are the better team than Spain. Or 'were', perhaps: three Chilean starters (Ponce, Medel, and Estrada) will be unable to play in their next match after a rash of fouls, both real and imagined, against Spain.
And that's a real shame, because even at full strength, they'd be hard pressed to beat Brazil. Yes, they qualified (was there ever any doubt?), and despite only managing to tie Portugal 0-0, remain the most confident-looking team in the Cup. Brazil has a superb team, as evidenced by the number of players they have with only one name: Kaka, Maicon, Lucio, Robinho, Elano... Still, their best may be Luis Fabiano (who I'm sure will drop to just 'el Fabio' soon enough). On a team of stars, it's hard for any one to shine, but if Brazil keeps up their performance, they'll have a shot to win it all.
{THE GAME: Treaty of Tordesillas}
{MONDAY, 2:30 PM - Chile faces Brazil in a battle to reach the quarter-finals. Chile, already the weaker side, will play without three of her starters, who were lost to costly yellow cards against Spain. No doubt about it, they will need to dig deep if they hope to win against heavily-favored Brazil. The Brazilians have made it clear they intend to play at 100% - unlike certain European teams (*cough*France*cough*), they know that a win here is nobody's birthright.
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Well that's all for now. If nothing else, watch the game tomorrow - it's a Saturday afternoon, so there's really no excuse.
Next Time:
-Quarter-Finals! Unless I have something un-soccer-related to talk about before then.
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