Did It Really Matter?

Yesterday's game was a good effort by the U.S. team. The bottom line is, they made it to where they should have, and anything more would have been icing on the cake. It's probably better that they went out valiantly against Ghana, because quite frankly, I think it would have been ugly had the U.S. had to play Uruguay in the quarterfinals. We saw it happen in three out of the four games that the U.S. played; they gave up the early goal, and it's extremely hard to come back in soccer. The fact that they managed to come back two of the three times is pretty incredible in itself. Yes, it's hard to accept defeat against a team in consecutive World Cups, but sometimes that's just the way things go. I'm not sure how much this will help soccer in the long run, but it certainly hasn't hurt the popularity in the U.S. like another early exit in the group stage would have done.

On the bright side, at least we won't have to wonder "what could have been" for the next four years as England and Mexico will likely have to do. Both were the victim of missed calls by the referees; in the England game, a shot by Frank Lampard that clearly crossed the goal line was not ruled a goal. This would have tied the game at 2-2 in the first half, and although Germany went on to win the game 4-1, could have had an impact on the game. According to England coach Fabio Capello, "We could have played a different style" had the goal counted. So, are you saying that had the goal gone in, you would have changed your style of play from that point on? Since we're in the knockout stage, I'm pretty sure the name of the game is to aggressively attack and try to win instead of play for a tie. How exactly does that style of play change whether the game is 2-1 or tied? The fact of the matter is, England did not play well throughout their stay in this World Cup, and one goal was not going to change the way they played. Germany was the better team, and that was evident by the fact that they scored four goals for the second time this World Cup.

Mexico on the other hand was victim of those all too common offside calls that aren't called. In the 26th minute, Argentina's Lionel Messi headed the ball to Carlos Tevez, who was clearly behind all the Mexican defenders, and Tevez promptly put the ball into the back of the net. However, like the England vs. Germany game, you're splitting hairs if you argue that the missed call was a game changer. Argentina won the game 3-1, and was in control for most of the game other than the first couple of minutes. With this being said, what we have here are a couple of cases of overmatched teams on the wrong end of a call arguing that they were cheated. Sorry guys, but regardless of the calls, you didn't deserve to win.

Tomorrow I'll begin with my "Live from Omaha" posts. It's not really anything special; basically, I'll just be writing about my experience at the College World Series finals in addition to the other topics that I would originally cover. Other than the actual baseball part, I'll also comment on the waiting in line, the food, the atmosphere, and of course, the ladies. I'm looking forward to it, and hopefully this lighter tone in my writing will attract more than my usual readership, which typically maxes out at about four.



- K. Becks

World Cup Preview: Groups A and B

The only news I have for you today before I begin my World Cup analysis is that the Division 1 College Baseball tournament has begun. The reason I bring this up is for two reasons; one is that I get the opportunity to attend some of the College World Series games this year, which is especially exciting because 2010 is the last year that the College World Series will be played at the famous Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. The other reason I bring this up is because the game that is currently on TV, Texas A&M vs. Florida International, features a player that is currently riding a 54-game hit streak. His name is Garrett Wittels, and he is only four games away from tying Robin Ventura's record of 58 straight games with a hit, set back in 1987. FIU will have to win some games if Wittels hopes to break, or even tie, Ventura's record, so it should be an interesting Regional to watch.

Now, the start of my World Cup preview.

Group A
Teams: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France

Match to Watch
France vs. Mexico (Thursday, June 17th)

In Group A, this game could potentially decide who wins the group. Thierry Henry, the 2006 Footballer of the Year, will lead the French attack. Although Mexico does not have any real international stars, they have a solid attack led by Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Javier Hernandez. If both these teams can get a win in their first match, then this game will be the biggest game in the group.

Player to Watch
Luis Suarez, Uruguay

If Uruguay wants to make it out of group play, then this is the man who will have to step up. He is one of Uruguay's top goal scorers, and when he isn't scoring, he is helping create chances for other top goal scorer Diego Forlan. Uruguay is a hungry team, and if Suarez plays well, they have the ability to surprise some people.

Final Standings

1. France- The best team in this group, they will be able to handle South Africa, and even a tie with the other two teams should get them through to the next round.
2. Mexico- They are aging and injured, but they have the experience edge over a young Uruguay team.
3. Uruguay- They will be exciting to watch, but are going to have a hard time beating Mexico, which is what they will need to do if they want to move on.
4. South Africa- The host team will be extremely happy to be playing, but their chances of moving on are low in a group featuring three other very talented teams.


Group B
Teams: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece

Match to Watch
Argentina vs. Nigeria (Saturday, June 12th)

This game will likely determine who will win Group B. Unfortunately for the loser, it means that they will have to regroup and regain their focus, or else they could find themselves in big trouble. As far as soccer goes, this could be a high scoring game. Both Argentina and Nigeria have very good front lines, and Nigeria has had some issues on defense. Nothing like waking up to some high-octane soccer on a Saturday morning, right?

Player to Watch
Lionel Messi, Argentina

No surprise here. The 2009 World Player of the Year will be the most watched player in the group, and possibly in the entire tournament. He shouldn't have trouble getting his team out of the group stage, but we'll really see what he's made of in the knockout stages, where he could potentially have a quarterfinals date with always tough Germany.

Final Standings

1. Argentina- Other than the first game, Argentina shouldn't have too much trouble in the group stage. Diego Maradona may not be as talented a coach as he was a player, but pure talent should carry the Argentinean team into the Round of 16.
2. Nigeria- The Super Eagles (the nickname for the Nigerian team) may be the best hope for an African team to make it out of group play after injuries to Michael Essien and Didier Drogba hurt Ghana's and the Ivory Coast's chances. Their game against South Korea will be extremely important if Nigeria wants to move on.
3. South Korea- It's hard to leave South Korea out, as they are undoubtedly the best team in Asia. However, it will be extremely hard for them to outplay a Nigerian team that is very determined to do well on their home continent.
4. Greece- If you go back and look at the group Greece was part of in order to qualify for the World Cup, you wouldn't exactly be impressed. The surprise winner of Euro 2004, these guys will have one shot at qualifying for the next round; if striker Theofanis Gekas plays lights out for three games.


I am going to put up new polls every day so that the readers can vote on who they think will move on from each group. I'd also like to hear your comments about anything World Cup related, so you can either post a comment in the comments section, or email me at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com. Thanks guys.



- K. Becks