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

Time To Exceed Expectations

Two weeks ago when the World Cup began, the United States advancing to the knockout round and keeping it close against predicted Group D winner Germany would have been enough to satisfy both hardcore and casual fans in the States. Those set of expectations have been wiped right off the board, however, as the United States looks at a game against Ghana and a potential quarterfinal match against either Uruguay or South Korea. When you think of soccer powerhouses, none of those names come to mind (unless you want to go back to the 1930's, in which case Uruguay would probably be on your short list). So, does that mean that the United States should be the favorite to advance to the semi-finals? Well, let's see.

Uruguay

This team looked very good in the group stage, getting a tie against France and then dispatching both South Africa and Mexico. What is scary about this team is that not only can they score (they had three goals against South Africa), but they didn't allow even one goal throughout the entire group stage. Teams that can score are the ones that do well in the knockout stage, but it also helps to have a stifling defense in case of an off day offensively. Also, Diego Forlan is the best player on any of the four teams in this section of the knockout stage.

South Korea

Of the teams in this section, South Korea is the only team with recent experience playing in a game beyond the Round of 16. With that being said, it is obvious that South Korea will not be intimidated by any of the teams that they may have to play. The Koreans did not look good against Argentina, and unfortunately, they have to play another South American team in their first knockout round game. Uruguay plays a similar style of soccer that Argentina plays, so South Korea will need to be more sound defensively if they want another shot at the semi-finals.

Ghana

Quite honestly, I would have expected Ghana to look a little better in group play than they did. Other than a penalty kick goal against Serbia, Ghana did not do much on the offensive end. Talent wise, Ghana has a slight edge on the United States. However, Ghana is a young team, and will be going up against a squad that remembers the loss they suffered in group play in 2006 that sent them home early. The key for this team will be to capitalize on their scoring opportunities, and try to create those opportunities often.

United States

There is no doubt that they like to keep things interesting for the entire game, scoring late goals that make us all breathe a sigh of relief. Based on FIFA's rankings, the U.S. is the best team in this section. However, as I mentioned earlier, rankings mean little when you actually put the men on the field to play. The United States has looked much more capable of scoring goals than Ghana, and although not all of them have counted, I see the U.S. having the edge offensively. However, other than Tim Howard, I am still a little uneasy about the defense, especially early on in the match. This is really true of every team from here on out, but the United States truly needs a complete game on both ends if they want to make it to the semi-finals.

So, who is moving on and who is going home? Well, take a look at my Knockout Round Predictions: Version 2 to find out what I think will happen.

Round of 16

Uruguay vs. South Korea
Winner: Uruguay
United States vs. Ghana
Winner: United States
Netherlands vs. Slovakia
Winner: Netherlands
Brazil vs. Chile
Winner: Brazil
England vs. Germany
Winner: Germany
Argentina vs. Mexico
Winner: Argentina
Paraguay vs. Japan
Winner: Paraguay
Spain vs. Portugal
Winner: Spain

Quarterfinals

Uruguay vs. United States
Winner: Uruguay

Am I anti-American? No. I will be cheering for the United States and I absolutely hope that the Americans pull off the win and prove me wrong. However, from a neutral standpoint, I see Uruguay as the better team. The U.S. hasn't seen anyone like Diego Forlan, and yes, I am aware that they have already faced Wayne Rooney. However, unlike Rooney, Forlan is playing well in this tournament, and will be a handful for the U.S. defense. My heart is with the Americans, but my head tells me Uruguay.

Netherlands vs. Brazil
Winner: Brazil
Germany vs. Argentina
Winner: Argentina
Paraguay vs. Spain
Winner: Spain

Semi-Finals

Uruguay vs. Brazil
Winner: Brazil
Argentina vs. Spain
Winner: Spain

Third Place Game

Uruguay vs. Argentina
Winner: Argentina

Final

Brazil vs. Spain
Winner: Spain


So, there are my updated predictions. South America has proven, both in this World Cup and in past ones, that they travel extremely well, and I believe that in the knockout round, they will continue to play outstanding soccer. However, when all is said and done, I still believe that Spain will be hoisting the trophy. Now all that's left is for the games to begin. Tomorrow at around 2:30 p.m. Eastern time, we will see if the United States will in fact exceed expectations.



- K. Becks

World Cup Preview: Knockout Stage

Okay, so maybe I was wrong. The hype for Stephen Strasburg was about as great, if not greater, than the hype for Bryce Harper is and will be. The guy was a monster tonight; seven innings pitched, two earned runs, four hits, fourteen strikeouts, and the icing on the cake, a win. I don't think I've ever seen Nationals Park as excited and as into a baseball game as the fans were tonight. Strasburg has arrived, which means more than just quality outings every five days for the Nationals. It means more ticket sales, more jersey sales, and an actual fear from opposing clubs, something that has been relatively foreign to the Nationals up to this point. Still think that the hype for Strasburg has been blown out of proportion? Go watch the highlights from tonight's Nationals game, and you'll see why Strasburg was worthy of it.

In my final World Cup preview post, I will list my picks for the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final. I will give a description on each potential matchup starting with the semifinal games. To make it easy on my readers, I also put in parenthesis where each of these teams came from Group-wise.

Round of 16

France (1st in Group A) vs. Nigeria (2nd in Group B)
Winner: France
England (1st in Group C) vs. Ghana (2nd in Group D)
Winner: England
Netherlands (1st in Group E) vs. Paraguay (2nd in Group F)
Winner: Netherlands
Brazil (1st in Group G) vs. Chile (2nd in Group H)
Winner: Brazil

Germany (1st in Group D) vs. United States (2nd in Group C)
Winner: Germany
Argentina (1st in Group B) vs. Mexico (2nd in Group A)
Winner: Argentina
Italy (1st in Group F) vs. Cameroon (2nd in Group E)
Winner: Cameroon
Spain (1st in Group H) vs. Ivory Coast (2nd in Group G)
Winner: Spain


Quarterfinals

France vs. England
Winner: England
Netherlands vs. Brazil
Winner: Brazil

Germany vs. Argentina
Winner: Argentina
Cameroon vs. Spain
Winner: Spain


Semifinals

England vs. Brazil
Winner: England

For the first time in the tournament, Brazil's lack of style will catch up to them. In past tournaments, Brazil has stressed playing the game beautifully just as much as actually winning the game. This year, that isn't the case. However, England is a team that has the talent to match up with Brazil, and Brazil will not be able to physically muscle their way past England like they will be able to do against other teams. This is the end of the road for the Selecao, whose fans will be disappointed beyond belief.

Argentina vs. Spain
Winner: Spain

South America will go 0-2 in semifinal matches at this year's World Cup, with Argentina losing a close battle with Spain. Messi has the sheer talent and will to carry his team this far, but Spain has too many weapons to let him single handedly take his team to the final. This game will be exciting, and Argentina will likely leave South Africa wondering what could have been. However, they will have done a good job if they make it this far.


Third Place Game

Brazil vs. Argentina
Winner: Brazil

Not much to say about this game. The disappointment from both teams will likely be visible on the field, but Brazil will manage to score enough to win this game against their South American rivals. We know where Brazil really wants to be, but for now they'll have to take solace in being the best South America has to offer.


2010 World Cup Final

England vs. Spain
Winner: Spain

After 12 unsuccessful tries, Spain will finally win their first World Cup with lucky number 13. They have talent at every position, and will not succumb to the pressure of being one of the co-favorites to win the World Cup before it starts. Xavi, Fernando Torres, David Villa; these will be the men that will forever be remembered in Spain, as the men who finally broke through and delivered the biggest sports honor to their country. World Cup Champions.


Obviously, my readers are going to have some opinions that differ from my own. Please, let me hear your thoughts. Either leave a comment in the comments section, or send me an email at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com. Hopefully, at the very least, this preview got you excited for the world's favorite tournament. Maybe you even learned something that will make your viewing more pleasurable. Anyway, thanks a lot to all my readers. I can't wait until Friday; it should be fun to watch.



- K. Becks