PORTUGAL
Where? The Southwesternest point of Europe, just West of Spain.
How Big? Not too big. A little smaller than Indiana, and just smaller than South Korea. Population is about the same size as Michigan, or the Czech Republic.
Something I learned from the CIA Factbook? Well, I saw something that doesn't seem to make sense. Portugal has a pretty high migration rate (higher than any other comparably sized European nation), meaning a lot of people are emigrating to Portugal (many from Africa and Brazil). Portugal's birth rate is higher than its death rate, and Portugal has one of the lowest infant mortality rate in the world. But the overall population growth rate isn't very high. Or at least, it seems to me that it should be higher. Am I missing a factor in population growth? The age distribution doesn't seem out of the ordinary. Something else I learned was that the national holiday isn't the day they established a separate kingdom or the day they established the republic or the constitution. Nope, Portugal Day celebrates the death of the poet Luis de Camoes, who died in 1580.
Geopolitical significance? Not all that much. Portugal is a somewhat small, country and, compared to much of Europe, it has a poor educational system. In a global economy, where developing nations can undercut labor costs, a lack of ingenuity can lead to some tough economic times. I did see on the CIA site that Portugal is currently in a dispute over some territory with Spain, the dispute turning on a treaty signed in 1801 and the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Guys, if you can't work that out in 200 years, it might not ever get worked out.
Fun? Portugal is who it is today because of a bunch of dirty hippies. Sort of. Actually, I always remembered some kind of hippy t-shirt or bumper sticker or something where a bunch of hippies put flowers in soldier's guns and all of a sudden everyone wants to noodle in a field and the sky turns into Joseph's dreamcoat. Well, that sort of happened in Portugal, and I think this is the weirdest military coup on earth. From the early 1930s to the mid-1970s, Portugal had been ruled by an authoritarian/semi-fascist regime called the Estado Novo. One of the main goals of the Estado Novo was to maintain and keep the Portuguese colonies, which had lasted a while longer than pretty much any other European nation. The required military conscriptions placed a heavy burden on youths, and in time a significant anti-establishment movement had developed within the military. In 1974, leftist army officers started a coup. First ridiculous thing: the "secret signal" to start the coup was the first playing on state TV of Portugal's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest (hopefully the same is true of Lordi). The leftists announced the coup and encouraged civilians to stay at home. The people didn't though, and flooded the streets in support of the insurgents. One of the places where the revolutionaries met the people was the March of Flowers in Lisbon. There, many of the civilians and the rebels placed carnations in their gun barrels, which became the symbol of the revolution. Amazingly, it worked, as other military personnel did little to stop the revolt. Shortly thereafter, the Portuguese government became a liberal democracy with free-ish elections and the colonial system was given up for good. Basically, if not for those flowers, Portugal could have been a totally different country (and Spain and Greece might also have held on to their repressive regimes longer too). Oh, and Portugal makes delicious dessert wines.
Soccer:
Portugal should be one of the more interesting teams in the Cup this year. The roster is filled up with a few aging veterans from what was considered the Golden Generation, but now it seems like there's been a youth movement for Portugal, and the bulk of the starting positions will be filled by younger players and those just now hitting their prime (but who laid in wait while Rui Costa, Couto, and Baia were dominating the lineups).
Portuguese soccer history is much much less vaunted than one would think. Portugal only qualified for one World Cup prior to 1986: the 1966 team that finished third. In fact, this is only Portugal's fourth World Cup Finals, having bowed out in the first round of both the 1986 and 2002 Cups. 1966 was a tremendous accomplishment, led by one of the all-time greats of soccer, Eusebio. But 2002 was an especially disappointing result. Pegged by many as one of the favorites of the tournament (with the "Golden Generation" hitting their prime), they gave up three goals to the USA in the first 36 minutes of the first game. Stunning, still to this day. Portugal came back with two goals in that match, and pounded Poland in the second match. Park Ji-Sung's second half goal in the Korea match held up, though, and Portugal headed home to a brutal and unforgiving press. Portugal has had significantly more success in the European Championship, going from quarterfinalists, to semifinalists, to runners up (in another stunning match against Greece) in successive tournaments.
Qualifying for this cup was a bit easier than ever before. The only other team in the qualifying group with a sniff of Cup Finals experience was Russia, and there were 4 bad minnows in the group. Portugal established the alpha dog position with a 7-1 pounding of Russia early on in qualifying. The Five Shields didn't lose a match and only drew three, topping the group. They were +30 on goal differential (which should give you a taste of how weak the group was).
The team itself has been on the rise for the last decade, and even with the international retirement/non-selection of several of the veterans, Portugal is considered by many to be continually improving. The roster is made up with players based all over Europe's top leagues, including Portugal, which is just below the top professional leagues (and might be as good as the Eredivise in Holland).
The face of the team is Luis Figo, one of the few remaining Golden Generation players. While nobody's confusing him with his genius of 5-6 years ago, he's been pretty good for Inter Milan (at least better than people thought). Simao Sabrosa joins him in what might be the best midfield in the Cup (along with two others I'll mention in a second). The aging Pauleta is the scorer up front.
But there are two ones to watch: Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo. Deco is an incredible playmaker, but also possesses truly elite fundamentals. His tackling is solid, and he can keep control of the ball well, both abnormal attributes of an attacker. And on attacking he's a great improvisor as well as playmaker. Expect him to be involved in many goals. Ronaldo, on the other hand, is making his international debut. He's yound and excitable, but has a keen knack for knowing exactly where to go. He plays on the wing, but expect to see him up front as much as Pauleta. He might be one of the leading scorers in the entire cup.
The group did great favors for Portugal, even though they weren't seeded (in my opinion, they didn't necessarily deserve a seed, but moreso than Mexico). They open with a historic matchup against their former colony Angola, one of the worst teams in the cup, and then play Iran and Mexico. Most think the Mexico matchup will really just decide between first and second, but not me. I think that might be an elimination match.
The opener against Angola will mean more for the debutantes than for Portugal. Truly, if Portugal doesn't give up three first half goals, I bet most Portuguese will be happy. And I think they will be, as Ronaldo nets two in the first 20 minutes, and Pauleta finishes one late for a 3-0 win.
The second match is where hubris might play a role. An early goal by Iran stuns many. Portugal doesn't fall apart, in part due to Figo's presence. They equalize in the second half and hold on for a 1-1 win.
The final match against Mexico turns out to be a scarier affair than most wanted it to be. A win or a draw means Portugal advances, probably winning the group. A loss, however, and they could be out of the tournament entirely. Mexico, on the other hand, needs to win because of goal differential. They push forward early, and it costs them, as Ronaldo scores on the counter. Mexico doesn't give up, and ties it up just after halftime. Both teams suffer from tense moments, as Iran appears to be taking care of business, meaning one of these teams is going home. After some nice possession play by Portugal, Figo is fouled just outside the box. He takes the set piece and buries it. 2-1 Portugal, and they move on in first place in the group.
Unfortunately, first place in the group means facing the second place team in Group C, the Netherlands. This round of 16 game should be one of the most entertaining matches because of both teams' abilities in the midfield. Deco and Ronaldo work together to score first, but Van Nistelrooy matches the score with a great goal. Both teams threaten, but neither scores through extra time. The aging van der Sar makes two incredible saves in the first three, and the Dutch scorers do what they do best. Holland advances, Portugal are left wondering.
While they don't make a run (though capable of doing so), Portugal will have a good cup. Topping the group will put aside memories of 2002, and losing to the Dutch or Argentines is nothing to be ashamed of. Portugal will be back again in 2010, and might even be stronger still.
If the World Cup were March Madness, Portugal would be... a recently emerging power in a top conference with one great stunning moment in its history, but not too much until lately. Also they're known for skill in ball handling and scoring. Villanova it is.
Damn dirty hippies.
Monday, June 05, 2006
#10: Seleccao das Quinas
Sunday, June 04, 2006
#11: Blagult
SVERIGE
Where? Northern Europe, between Norway and Finland.
How Big? Decent sized, a little larger than California. Population is centered in the South, a little larger than Georgia.
Something I learned from the CIA Factbook: Only Finland, Germany, Italy and Japan have an older average population than Sweden. Also, Sweden has compulsory military service, and a long-term reserve requirement. That blows my mind, since they were neutral in both World Wars. What was the last war they fought, that one against Russia back in the 1700s?
Geopolitical significance... Well, I'm not sure there is much. Sweden tends to stay above the fray and do its own thing. It'll always be a relatively wealthy nation that trades well with the rest of the world and makes safe cars. But it's not like they're sitting on an asston of oil or might set of a nuke on Finland for making better cell phones or something.
Fun... Remember those old Coors Light commercials with the "Swedish Bikini Team"? Turns out there are still people trying to make a buck off of something that was semi-clever 15 years ago. They do public appearances and seem to have made a tacky T&A movie in the vein of a James Bond adventure (with John Rhys-Davies of Indiana Jones fame!). Apparently there are 4 members of the team and one reserve. OK. Believe it or not, I do not find this as fun as Gunther. You really should click on that one. Seriously, the rest of this isn't important. Gunther is though. Make sure to watch the videos, but they're probably close to not work safe.
Soccer:
Sweden actually has one of the better pedigrees through history. They've made the semifinals of the World Cup four times and the final once. Unfortunately, they've only made it past the round of 16 once (1994 USA) since their final appearance at home in 1958. They're still a good side, known for size and skill on offense and traditionally known for top notch goalkeeping.
Qualifying this time around went pretty well, except that Sweden was in a pretty tough group, with Croatia, Bulgaria and Hungary. Sweden won every match except for the two against Croatia, and lost both of them. It was good enough for one of the qualifying spots as a second place team without going through the playoffs.
The team is pretty well experienced, especially among its scoring threats. Players are spread out all over Europe, but a few still base their pro careers in Sweden. Oddly, Swedish clubs haven't been all that impressive in Europe lately - and IFK Gotheborg used to be a pretty solid team. The national team hasn't really lost too much in the recent downturn in Swedish domestic professional play.
Henrik Larsson is about a billion years old, but he still gets open and finds the net regularly. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (a good Swedish name) is probably the real goal scoring threat, and he's very very good. But the one to watch is in the midfield. Freddie Ljungberg was originally just an underwear model who happened to also play football, but he's really become a top playmaker and a solid leadership voice. Look for him to get the ball to Ibrahimovic consistently and be the one who makes things happen.
Unlike in 2002, when Sweden was placed in the Group of Death with England and Argentina but still advanced, Sweden got a pretty easy draw this time. Again, they're paired with England, which should be of greater interest due to Sven Goran-Erikson's presence. Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago shouldn't be too tough though.
They open with T&T, probably the weakest team in the cup. Ibrahimovic scores twice on classic Swedish efficient plays. 2-0 Sweden in a pretty unsurprising match.
The second match against Paraguay should be another good result for Sweden. They'll carry confidence from the first match, and should have a partisan crowd in favor of them. Plus, Paraguay will be reeling from their match against England. Larsson nets one early, and Ibrahimovic (who's making an even bigger name for himself) scores just before the half. The second half is boring and defensive minded, and the score holds up. 2-0 Sweden, effectively advancing them into the next stage.
All that's undecided is seed for the next stage. The England game is pretty anticlimactic, with both teams resting gimpy players for the next round. Each team scores one goal, but England takes the top spot based on goal differential.
It's not a good thing for Sweden, who draw hosts Germany in the next round. Ibrahimovic has a goal disallowed as offside questionably early in the match, and Germany is consistently thwarted on attack. The match descends into defense. After full time and extra time, neither team has found the net. It goes to penalties, and the German crowd definitely has a pull. After 7 shots for each team and no nails left to bite in northern Europe, Germany finally wins when Oliver Kahn (who replaced Lehmann before this game) stops a shot from winger Christian Wilhemsson.
A decent cup, but no long run. Ibrahimovic becomes one of the stars of the early cup. A good cup, but not a great cup.
If the World Cup were March Madness, Sweden would be... a top conference team with some long-ago triumphs, but nothing much lately, and who will always play well enough to be in every game and will always make the tournament. Not one of the teams you think of when you think of powerhouses, but they're always there. Occasionally they have some incredible scorers. I'm thinking Georgia Tech, or maybe Georgetown.
It doesn't really matter how well Sweden does, because Gunther's getting laid either way, with multiple women, on multiple bear rugs, in multiple kimonos.
#12: Asian Tigers / Taeguk Warriors
HAN'GUK
Where? Eastern Asia, southern half of Korean peninsula.
How Big? Somewhat small compared to neighbors. About the size of Indiana. Population is very very dense. More than 50% larger than California.
Something I learned from the CIA Factbook: South Korea is one of only 16 nations , and one of 2 in the World Cup, that border just one other (Canada, Brunei, Denmark, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Gambia, Haiti, The Vatican, Ireland, Lesotho, Monaco, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, and Northern Ireland (UK)). Also, unlike just about every other country I've done so far, the ethnicity is described as homogeneous, except for some 20,000 Chinese.
Geopolitical significance: Since the Korean War nearly made industry worthless, the growth in this country has been unmatched by anywhere else on earth for the last 50 years. Now the economy is one of the world's 15 largest and continues to grow. Plus, it shares a border with a nuclear power led by a dude that's pretty much insane. Also, it sits right between two bitter rivals who have top 5 economies in China and Japan. South Korea could be one of the most important locations for world events over the next half-century.
Fun? So, there's this character on The O.C. named Taylor Townsend, and she has this Korean fetish (always eating kimchee, talks about enjoying making out with Koreans because they're "hairless like a baby seal" (and I always thought seals had lots of hair...). Anyway, in the prom episode, Taylor's date is Korean and she sets up Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson) with a foreign pop star from Korea, rambling on about how huge Korean Pop, or K-Pop, is. Turns out, this isn't a joke. K Pop is one of the most popular types of music in Asia and around the world. I eagerly await the rising tide of Korean Pop in this country.
Soccer:
Korea has a pretty respectable history in international soccer. They've qualified for every World Cup since 1986, and they were semifinalists as hosts in 2002. Picking them to advance out of group might be a little bit of a stretch, but it's not that hard a group, with really only France as a top quality team (though Switzerland might surprise).
Qualifying for Germany wasn't quite as smooth as it probably should've been for ROK, as they finished second in their group to Saudi Arabia. They drew at Uzbekistan and lost both to the Saudis (though the home loss was after they'd already qualified).
The team is still made up of predominantly locally based players, though since the success in 2002, a handful of players have found spots in Europe.
South Korea is pretty good in the defence, with an experienced keeper in Lee Woon-Jai. But it's the attack that is most exciting about the Koreans. The midfielders push forward, using quickness on the wings and get the ball forward into space for the scorers, like Ahn Jung-Hwan (who's been playing in Germany). The one to watch is midfield/winger Park Ji-Sung, who might be weak on defense, but is pretty sharp in getting the ball in the right place for a goal.
The Koreans ended up in a favorable group, with teams that play pretty nice, flowing soccer. There should be some fun games to watch and a good amount of scoring chances in this group.
Korea opens with Togo, a decent team but not nearly as tough as opening with France. I think the Korean skill and speed run circles around Togo, who should also be pretty awestruck by the spectacle (which Korea has seen before). A goal each side of the break for South Korea. 2-0 win.
The second match should be fun to watch. France and Korea both play great, attacking football. I expect lots of goal scoring chances, but one of those weird games where not that many goals actually go in. Late in the game Henry gets free behind the defense and nets one for the win. 1-0 France.
The last match is basically an elimination game. The winner moves on, the loser goes home, and Korea has an advantage in the event of a draw. So Switzerland has to push forward. Unfortunately, Korea is great on the counterattack. They score a goal on the first half hourm forcing Switzerland to take even more risks. Korea takes advantage of that and scores again, effectively ending the match. Switzerland scores a late, meaningless goal to make it 2-1 though.
South Korea advances as the second seed in out of the group and is paired with Spain in the round of 16. This is a rematch of the quarterfinal match in 2002, won by the Koreans in penalties after a scoreless draw. Spain won't let this match be scoreless, as they slip a goal in early to take a 1-0 lead. Korea equalizes with some quick play forward. And the entire nation of Spain thinks, "here we go again". But not this time. With about 5 minutes to go, Spain go ahead. The goal holds up and Spain advances with a 2-1 win.
South Korea acquits themselves pretty well in this cup, and advances over any other Asian team. 2002's run to the semis won't be repeated, but they do have a good chance to advance due to a favorable draw.
If the World Cup were March Madness, South Korea would be... small conference team that's made great strides in recent years, and somewhat replicates a great run from a few years ago, using experience and skill. I'm thinking Bucknell.
The future of music. Style tips by O-Town, costume design by David Puddy.
#13: No Nickname!
CESKA REPUBLIKA
Where? Central Europe, south of Germany and Poland, North of Austria.
How Big? Small. About the size of South Carolina. Population is pretty dense though. About the same time as Michigan.
Something I learned from the CIA Factbook: Very small item, but it caught my eye. One major natural resource is Kaolin. I didn't know anyplace else other than Middle Georgia had Kaolin. Now I know. I also learned that there are still lawsuits over property confiscated in WWII - something about Liechtenstein property there and expelled Sudetenland Germans.
Geopolitical significance... The location in the center of Europe means it'll always be an important land shipping route between East and West. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Czech Republic was probably the first satellite to modernize and westernize. Since then, the nation has joined NATO (odd because it not only doesn't border the Atlantic, but it's completely landlocked) and the European Union.
Fun... Budweiser is a Czech beer. Seriously. It's brewed in the town of Ceske Budejovice. The brewery there has been operating since 1265, and was at one time the Royal Brewer for the court of the Holy Roman Empire. The American Budweiser and the Czech Budweiser have been in trademark disputes for years, all over the world. The American Budweiser says the Czech one didn't start selling the beer commercially until 1895, after Anheuser Busch was brewing its Bud. The result is that in some countries, American Budweiser can only be sold as "BUD", while in other countries, the Czech Budweiser can't be sold as its name, like in the USA where it's sold under the name "Czechvar". I think I've had Czechvar before, just to see if it tasted like Budweiser. It didn't if I remember correctly, and in fact I wasn't a fan (I preferred Pilsner Urquell and Staropramen by far).
Soccer:
In a similar vein to the former Yugoslavia teams, the Czech Republic team history officially only started after the division of Czechoslovakia in 1994. The unified team was a dominant force in the early days of the World Cup, finalists in the first cup they entered. In 1962, the Czechoslovakia team also finished as runners-up. But after the 1968 Soviet invasion cracked down on the most liberal of the socialist nations, the Czechoslovakia team suffered greatly, failing to even qualify 4 times and never making it past the group stages (though they did a little better in the European Championship - winning it 1976 and semifinalists in 1980).
The division between Slovakia and the Czech Republic has been pretty one sided in who has fared better. Slovakia hasn't qualified for a single major international competition, while the Czechs are ranked second in the world, mainly due to their results as runners up at Euro 96 and Semifinalists in Portugal 2004. But the Czech Republic has never qualified on its own for the World Cup.
Qualifying this time wasn't a sure thing. The group they were drew in was one of the toughest - with traditional powers Romania and the Netherlands, not-completely-terrible Finland, and three minnows. The Czechs split with Romania (each side winning at home), but got swept by the Dutch - including a 2-0 defeat in Prague that could have allowed the Czechs to top the group. Instead, they finished second because of a slip by Romania. The Czechs drew Norway in the playoffs, and won both ends of the tie 1-0.
The team is made up of seasoned professionals playing in all of the top leagues in Europe, with a great mixture of veterans and younger players. Pavel Nedved in the midfield is one of those key veterans. Tomas Rosicky should be a real force in the midfield; he's a solid attacking midfielder who just transferred to Arsenal for a pretty big bounty. They should be pretty good there, even with the injury to Smicer. The upfront players should put fear in the hearts of every opponent because of their size, skill and quickness. Milan Baros always seems to play better when he's not wearing a Liverpool jersey, and all 6 feet and 8 inches of Jan Koller should make every opposing fan sweat for every corner.
But the man to watch above all others is Petr Cech. He is, in my opinion, the best goalkeeper on earth. He's tall, long and agile. No other player can single-handedly take over and control games like he can. I envision a performance like Oliver Kahn's in 2002. Totally dominant (even though I don't predict him to be...).
They were placed in a tough group, since the USA will not be a pushover, and Ghana isn't terrible. And Italy in a European World Cup is always tough. I think the Czechs get out of the group, but waiting for them as a prize is that weak sister Brazil. Harsh.
The opener is the USA. The size advantage for Koller could be trouble for the US. I think the Czechs get a goal early off a corner, but the USA equalize on a fre kick that gets blocked but put in afterward. Late in the game, the US doesn't want to give up a goal on another corner, so they pull down Koller in the box. Rosicky converts the PK, and the Czechs have a good start, winning 2-1.
The second match is against Ghana, and the Czechs use that height advantage again, but this time as a decoy. Baros scores twice as the defense focuses on Koller. Appiah gets the best of Cech though. Finally, Koller nets a header late for a 3-1 win. 6 points pretty much looks like the Czechs will advance. All they're looking for is a way to avoid Brazil by winning the group.
Italy doesn't comply, however. With their backs against the wall, and with the Juventus scandal festering, Italy hunkers down and finds a way to make it happen. Cech suffers a major letdown from his defense, and Italy plays rough. Italy scores twice in the first half, but the Czechs get one back just before halftime. A penalty late seals it for Italy though. 3-1. Cech is stunned. And that late PK actually tilts the group to Italy, sending the Czechs into the fire against Brazil.
The Brazil match turns out to be one of the best matches of the tournament, since it's a clash of strengths and styles. The Brazillians can't really handle the Czech size, and the Czechs take the early lead on a cross headed in. Brazil equalizes and goes ahead by two goals from Ronaldinho, who must run through Cech's nightmares. The Czechs incredibly equalize again, with Koller's second off of a corner. The match looks like it's headed for extra time, when late substitute Robinho breaks loose and sneaks a ball past Cech. Just like that, it's over, but everyone is impressed with the match.
So it's bad luck, mainly that the Czech Republic ended up in this group, though they could've played better (especially in goal). Of course, I could be completely wrong about all this, and Cech could not give up a goal until the semifinals. We'll see.
If the World Cup were March Madness, the Czech Republic would be... good conference team, difficult to defend because of size, but a little overrated too. Maybe Texas, but maybe not quite that good. Maybe Oklahoma State the other year.
This is the famous Budweiser Beer. We know of one other beer produced by one other brewer that has the same name. Beechwood aging... blah blah no cost to make, no price...
Saturday, June 03, 2006
#14: Team Melli
IRAN
Where? Middle East, South of the Caspian Sea, North of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq and Afghanistan.
How Big? Big. Bigger than Alaska. Population is large, more than twice the size of California.
Something I learned from the CIA factbook... I didn't think Iran had that much more oil reserves than the USA - more than 6 times the proven reserves. I also didn't know that the symbol in the center of the flag spelled out in a stylized form the word "Allah" in the form of a tulip, which is a symbol for martyrdom, apparently. The other script on the flag spells out ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) over and over again. Also, Iran spends less (in raw dollars) on the military than Singapore, Mexico, the Netherlands, or Canada. That surprised me a lot, actually... I mean, Singapore?
Geopolitical significance? Of all the teams in the Cup, probably only the US is more significant. Iran sits on massive oil reserves. Iran has aggressively pursued development of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons. Iran's government has vocally supported the elimination of the state of Israel. Iran supports the insurgency in Iraq. Iran is one of the largest funders of terrorism against Israel, as well as in locations all over the world (even Bolivia). But Iran also has a tradition of advancement and moderation - if the radical clerics that run the country ever were to lose power, Iran could become a near-superpower in the world.
Fun? Yeah, it's tons of fun. There was an interesting article in ESPN the Mag a few weeks or months ago about American basketball players in Iran's professional basketball league. One player in particular was like Huggy Bear, he had connections to people with connections with liquor and women and stuff. Awesome. I think the story of the "Assassins", from the word "Hashishiyya", smoking hashish before going on their killing missions is pretty interesting too.
Soccer:
This will have to be an unpopular choice, but I have a weird feeling about it. Just have a sense that Iran's going to do well and people are going to be kind of pissed, politically. There are always storylines in a World Cup, to bring the sport broader recognition, and I think this will be one of those storylines.
Iran's soccer heritage is decent. They won three straight Asian Cups back in the 60s and 70s, but they've only qualified for the World Cup twice before, 1978 and 1998, neither time advancing out of the group. In 1998, Iran earned the biggest win in the nation's history, a 2-1 win over the US.
Qualifying this time around was relatively simple, and Iran is quickly becoming one of the 3 or 4 best teams in Asia. They drew the opener of the final stage with Bahrain, but then won 4 straight to clinch a spot before losing the unnecessary final match at Japan.
Players on the roster are mostly based at home in Iran, though a few players have set up shop in Germany. It's a pretty young roster, so they could surprise opponents unfamiliar with Iranian football. It's known mostly for quick strike attacking, and features the world's top international scorer in Ali Daei, who is probably too old to really make too much of an impact, but you never know. Look out for Rahman Rezaei in the defense. Vahid Hashemian, known as the "Helicopter", could be the main scoring threat.
But the one to watch is in the midfield, Ali Karimi of Bayern Munich. A solid ballhandler who can push forward and score frequently, he'll be the one that scares other teams the most.
And this Iran team should scare the other teams in the group. I've already written that I don't think much of the Mexico team, and Angola is one of the worst teams in the cup. Also, Iran will surprise a lot of people with the support they'll have in the stands. Middle Eastern immigrants may show up in large numbers to support Iran in Germany. That'll be a shock to the system for Mexico and Angola.
And it's the opener with Mexico that should have the Tricolor worried. The crowd will be pro-Iran, believe it or not. Mexico's expectations and pressure are much greater than Iran's. I want to revise my earlier prediction here though. I don't think Mexico scores first, since I think that'd help them significantly. Instead, I think Iran gets the penalty first, and Mexico comes back to equalize, but the game ends in a draw, 1-1.
The second match is an even bigger surprise, as Iran's strength in the midfield and attacking confound Portugal, who expected an easy match. Iran scores first again, but gives up a late equalizer to Ronaldo. Another 1-1 result.
Iran then sort of controls their own destiny in the final match against Angola. And they come out hot, scoring twice in the first half. It holds up, and Iran advances with a 2-0 win.
Because Portugal beat Mexico and won twice, Iran sits second in the group. The Round of 16 draw isn't kind, facing the Group of Death survivors. And this time Iran faces Argentina.
The Argentines come out showing the skill, speed and strength on all parts of the field that make them favorites in the Cup this year, scoring twice in the first 15 minutes. Iran is shell shocked and they give up a third goal before the half. Argentina pulls things tight in the second half, but Argentina nets a fourth late when Iran is throwing everyone forward. 4-0 Argentina.
But that last defeat won't hurt too much, since Iran isn't expected to do much at all and just by advancing out of the group stage Iran becomes one of the biggest stories in the entire event. And they'll only get better as their young players mature. Look out for this team in 2010, unless world events cause a catastrophe in that nation.
If the World Cup were March Madness, Iran would be... Small conference school that advances farther than anyone would think, but also alienates most of the nation to where they don't even get any support simply as an underachiever. I can't think of a good example for this. I remember thinking not too fondly of those Wisconsin-Milwaukee teams a few years back because I read some articles about how people didn't like Bruce Pearl. Whatever.
If Iran were to lose three games in Germany, their President will probably just deny the games' existence, just like any other bad things that happened there.
#15: Vatreni
HRVATSKA
[I lost two hours of work on this post, so it's the second time through... apologies if this sucks]
Where? Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea
How Big? Just slightly bigger than Costa Rica, again, about the size of West Virginia. Population is similar, just slightly bigger than Costa Rica, again, about the size of Metro Atlanta.
Something I learned from the CIA Fact Book... Not too much, because I wrote a big paper on Croatia back in my school days. I didn't know how prone Croatia was to catastrophic earthquakes. Basically, Croatia split from Yugoslavia in 1991 and suffered through a war (basically with Serbia) for the next four years. That war was pretty bad, but Croatia didn't suffer as much as Bosnia. After the war, Croatia's economy got pretty heated up.
Geopolitical significance... Croatia was in the papers a lot more a decade ago than today, but it's still pretty important. Croatia's location is a gateway between Western Europe and the Balkans, and it's a key shipping center for both land and sea routes. Croatia's international profile has risen so much that it is now in negotiations for admittance into the European Union.
Fun... Croatia is kind of a center of invention. The inventors of the ink pen, the torpedo, and the parachute were all Croats. Plus, one of the most notable inventors of all time was born in Croatia, though he was an ethnic Serb and worked in the USA: Nikolai Tesla, whose advancements in electrical engineering and wireless communications rivaled anyother inventor. Also, middle ages Croat soldiers introduced neckties to the rest of the world. On another note, Croatia is a gem of a tourist destination. I'd like to go to Dubrovnik.
Soccer:
The Fiery Ones, like Serbia and Montenegro below, didn't play as their own team until Yugoslavia fell apart. Croatia, however, was ready to go on their own and had significant initial success, thanks to superstars that dominated the Yugoslavian team, like Davor Suker, Zvonomir Boban or Robert Jarni. In 1998, Croatia blew up in France, stunning the world with their third place finish and Suker's golden boot. Croatia only lost to Argentina in the group and eventual champs France in the Semis. In fact, Croatia scored the only non-penalty goal against France in the entire tournament. 2002 was a slight step back, partly because the team was aging, and partly because they performed really strangely. They lost a close game on a PK to Mexico, then they beat Italy straight up. But then they lost to Ecuador in the finale, allowing Italy to move on. Weird.
Qualifying this time around went pretty well. Croatia didn't lose a game, and only drew with Bulgaria, Hungary and (???) Malta. They did sweep the two games against Sweden though, and took 24 points out of a possible 30 in a decent group.
The team is based in leagues all over Europe, with 4 in each of Croatia and Germany. The main thing is that this is a different team from the one that burst on the scene in France. Only 4 of the players on the roster were born before 1975, though a few of them are key players. The youth movement will be key though.
Some of the key players will be Dario Simic, a key defender for AC Milan; the Kovac brothers (Robert a stour defender at Juventus, Niko a decent midfielder for Hertha Berlin); and Dado Prso, probably the best scoring threat.
The player to watch, for the drama as much as for the promise, is Niko Kranjcar. He's young, but has a great chance to make a name for himself. The drama is that his father is the manager of the team, and his selection a while ago initially reeked of nepotism. But Niko's showed up for the national side, scoring frequently and stepping his game up. A big tournament in Germany could mean an exorbitant transfer fee later this summer, as he's rumored to want to move to Barcelona.
The schedule isn't exactly a cakewalk though, as the group includes prohibitive favorite Brazil and two teams in Japan and Australia that are about as talented as Croatia. But the home continent advantage should help, along with experience in continental football.
They open with Brazil, which should not be fun for Croatia. Expect Brazil to score early and often, but some of the young players on Croatia get their nerves calmed. Ronaldo gets closer to the all time scoring record, and Ronaldinho makes the millions spent promoting him worth it. 3-0 Brazil.
The second match against Japan picks up where Brazil left off, with Japan scoring twice in the first half. But after halftime, Croatia begins to take advantage of their edge in height, scoring three times in the second half to win 3-2. This could be one of the more exciting games in the Cup due to the matchup of styles.
Croatia enters the final match against Australia in a good position to advance. An early goal by Kewell puts things in doubt though. With Brazil already advancing, a draw by Japan wouldn't have been out of the question, so things get tense. Croatia equals late though, drawing 1-1.
They finish the group in second place, drawing Italy in the round of 16. A battle for Adriatic supremacy turns out to be one of the slower, more boring matches of the tournament, with a 60th minute Del Piero goal holding up. Croatia goes home, 1-0 Italy.
All in all, it'll be a semi-satisfying tournament. The losses to Brazil and Italy will sting, and the Aussie draw won't be anything to write home about. But the win over Japan will be a great moment, and the young players will get experience that'll pay off in 2010.
If the World Cup were March Madness, Croatia would be... a team in a good conference that's recently shown up big, but is currently going through a rebuilding process. I keep thinking Marquette for some reason. Any better ideas?
Dubrovnik: I'd roll up in a sweet 50 foot yacht.
#16: Los Ticos
COSTA RICA
Where? Central America, between Nicaragua on the North and Panama on the South.
How big? Not very big. About the size of West Virginia. Population is pretty small, smaller than Metro Atlanta.
Something I learned from the CIA Factbook... Costa Rica has no regular military. This boggles the mind, considering the region (I mean, didn't the US fight a semi-war in Panama, and funded one in Nicaragua?). But at the same time, they do spend money on the military. Something else interesting is how it's largest trade partner is the USA, but after that they trade most with Japan, Holland, Brazil, and Guatemala. Seems odd that they don't trade much with the bordering nations.
Geopolitical significance: Costa Rica is pretty rare among Central American nations for its peace and prosperity, and the result has been a large amount of foreign investment and tourism, moreso than regional comparables. And the future continues to look bright. While there aren't many natural resources to exploit, other than for tourism, the stable government and recent trade agreements (like CAFTA, once ratified) can only bring Costa Rica further into the fold of world economics.
Fun: Costa Rica is a outdoor adventure paradise, with volcanoes, rapid rivers, jungles, mountains, pristine beaches, waterfalls, etc... I think a hike to the Arenal Volcano would be pretty fun. Some other trivia: the first Hispanic-American to go into space was born in Costa Rica, Franklin Chang Diaz.
Soccer...
Picking Costa Rica to advance out of the group stage is probably a little foolish of me. Poland is probably the likelier result. But the World Cup always has a few surprises, and I think Costa Rica could provide one. The warm-up friendlies haven't suggested anything great to happen, but the other Group A teams (aside from maybe Germany) also haven't impressed.
Costa Rica's World Cup history is limited, with them having only qualified twice before. But they've played a little better than expected in both of those Cups. In their debut in Italy 1990, Costa Rica advanced out of the group stage, stunning Europe with wins over Scotland and Sweden and only losing to Brazil by one goal (that some considered a lucky result for Brazil). The 2002 cup was less successful for the Ticos, but it was mostly due to bad luck in the draw. The group included eventual champions Brazil, and eventual third place finishers Turkey, as well as local team China. Costa Rico opened with an (in real-time) impressive 2-0 win over China, and then followed it up with a draw against Turkey. In the final match against Brazil, Costa Rica got down 3-0 early, but rallied with two goals, only to lose 5-2, and be out on goal differential to Turkey. Costa Rica was the only team to score more than once against Brazil in the entire cup, and they were the only team other than Brazil not to lose to Turkey (well, Senegal drew through 90 minutes, but lost in extra time).
Costa Rica's success has been somewhat recent, but they're pretty clearly the third best team in the region after Mexico and the USA. In fact, Costa Rica is the only regional team to win a qualifier in Azteca in Mexico.
Most of the team plays domestically, but there are a few pretty good clubs in Costa Rica. The bulk of players on the cup roster play for LD Alajuelense or Deportivo Saprissa, who have won two of the last three CONCACAF Club Championships (Basically the Champions' League for North America), and they were two of the semifinalists in this year's CONCACAF Club Championship. Having so many players play together year-round could be a big advantage to Costa Rica.
The playmaker is Walter Centeno, a veteran of the 2002 cup and who has experience in European football, having spent time at AEK Athens. Also look for the woungest player on the roster, Randall Azofeifa, in the midfield. On the back line, Gilberto Martinez is the stalwart, and he's also the only member of the team based out of Europe, currently playing in Italy.
But the one to watch is the best known Costa Rican player of all time, Paulo Wanchope. A veteran of international play, as the top scorer in Tico history, he also has a long history of playing in Europe, having spent several years in England and Spain. He's still a threat for breakaways, and he's big enough to play well in the air. Look for him to have a lot of success against Ecuador, especially.
The schedule is probably challenging for Costa Rica. They open the tournament against the hosts, then get Ecuador, and the final match will be critical against Poland.
The opener whould have great fanfare and excitement, as the Ticos take on Germany in Allianz Arena. It'll be loud, mega-hyped, and generally insane. But Germany also will have a lot of pressure on them, and the openers have featured stunning results before. It'd be fun to see Costa Rica take an early lead to see how Germany reacts, but I think this one will go more to form. I think Germany scores once in each half, and Costa Rica has no response. 2-0 Germany.
Ecuador plays pretty good defense, and this should be a tougher matchup of styles. Rethinking this match, Costa Rica probably has a better chance of winning than I wrote under the Ecuador entry. I could see Wanchope netting more than one, actually. But I'll stay with the prediction, saying he only gets one and the Ecuadorians score once on a counterattack. 1-1.
Going into the final match, Costa Rica sit at the bottom of the standings, but with a chance to advance with a win over Poland and a Germany win or draw. Poland scores early on a header which could have broken their spirits. But the continuity of the team and resilience works out, as Costa Rica levels just before the half, and Wanchope scores the winner late. Just as the final whistle blows, the scoreboard posts the result in the Germany-Ecuador match: a draw. Costa Rica advances, stunning the Polish fans.
In the round of 16, Costa Rica are paired with England, a tough matchup. England's relatively easy group has allowed players to remain healthy and cardless, while Costa Rica suffered up to the last second in order to advance despite the predictions. The match starts out going England's way, which is probably necessary for the English (prone to drag things out against inferior opponents). England shows dominance in midfield, controlling the ball well. Owen streaks and takes a pass and nets it in the 10th minute. Just before halftime, a healthy Rooney nets a ball crossed by Beckham. After replacing the strikers for defense, things slow down, but Gerrard finishes the scoring with a one time blast from just inside the box. 3-0 England.
Costa Rica will surprise many in this cup, and provide the only bright spot from CONCACAF. After the cup, many European clubs rush to sign Ticos, but their success is really due to the way they play together.
If the World Cup were March Madness, Costa Rica would be... small conference school that plays great together (but not really due to a weird style of play) and advances, surprising people. Recently, I'm thinking Bucknell or Vermont.
Watch Costa Rica explode on the scene this year. I should just give up the puns and post more pictures of hot women from these countries.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
I get out a pen and I make a list.
1) World Cup postings will continue. I'll do two a day, counting down the knockout stage losers until we get to my predicted champ. Sorry for the hiatus. We'll get there.
2) San Francisco and Sonoma were amazing. Great weather. Great food. Great drink. Just fantastic trip. Full recap coming later, once I go through the pictures. One sports thing: AT&T Park is really great. Amazing views. And Barry hadn't hit 715 when I went, which made every one of his at-bats awesome. A billion flash bulbs, people booing the hell out of balls. More to come.
3) Just a day or so ago I checked the gmail account to the right. Kanu, dude, sorry I haven't responded. I totally could've used the advice. Kicking myself hard. I'm an idiot when it comes to that. All apologies.
4) I haven't forgotten about college football or movies or anything else I tend to write on. In fact, I've got a lot of stuff kicking around in my head. Percolating, if you will. Once I get done with these World Cup previews, it's on. Plus, I ain't afraid of blogging during World Cup games, so there's plenty coming down the pipe.
5) I'm coming down sort of in the middle of the debate Kyle King's been hosting on blogging transparency. I prefer to remain semi-anonymous, but I think I've also disclosed my personal biases. If I haven't, here they are: I was born up north, lived in Georgia for 22 years. I have two degrees from the University of Georgia, and it is there and only there where my personal allegiances lie. Became a Bulldog fan for real after visiting the campus for the first time my senior year in high school (both parents went to smaller schools in Philadelphia). I root for the home team in all sports. Obviously, I pull for the USA in the World Cup. I'm typically pro-underdog in games where I have no personal rooting interest, but there are always exceptions. And yes, I think the content of the written words matters more than biases or credentials. If you want to discount whatever I write about a rival because I'm a Georgia fan, no sweat off my sack. But I also don't think it's very cool to actively conceal biases in the hope that that would add to credibility, somehow. It doesn't. Sunshine is usually the best antiseptic, so pretending to be a neutral onlooker when nobody's neutral is just kind of lame to me. I think I'll flesh this out more later.
6) The more I look at the NBA draft the more I'm certain that Billy Knight is going to draft Rudy Gay and piss me off.
7) The more I watch the Braves, the more Adam LaRoche and the entire bullpen piss me off.
8) Everything Dan Shanoff wrote about the Spelling Bee pissed me off. I thought Spellbound was great. I admire kids who are smart. But this kind of Northwesternism, as termed by Ian, just annoys the shit out of me
9) I think the Dawgs kind of got screwed in the draw, with FSU in the group. I guess the Noles have to go somewhere. At least they're at home.
10) As I keep writing this post, I realize that I have a lot of bile to unload. I should be able to post more frequently over the next month or so, so be ready for this website to pretty much resemble a shitlist. #1 on that list: whatever moron planned the San Francisco airport. I rode 14 elevators, 9 escalators, took two trains, and walked a mile and a half in order to go about 300 yards as the crow flies. Brilliant, bitches. More to come.
#17: Stars and Stripes
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Where? Here.
How big? Big. About the size of the USA. Population about 10 times the size of California.
Something I learned from the CIA Factbook... In reference to yesterday's mention of the difference between GDP % in agriculture and the % of the labor force in agriculture, the USA is the reverse - agriculture actually accounts for a larger percentage of the GDP than the percentage of the population working in that sector. Here's something else: the US has more railway miles than the European Union. That surprises me a lot.
Geopolitical significance? Everything that matters on earth somehow affects or is affected by the US.
Fun? I am endlessly amused by the fact that YouTube has 182 results for the search term "kicked in the nuts". Plus, the US created Yacht Rock.
Soccer:
OK, OK, OK. This is the last of the teams I'm predicting not to advance past the group stage. And it pains me to do it. I've got high hopes for the Yanks, but the group is just too tough and I still don't trust the US on European soil, where the USA has never won a World Cup match.
The USA has a poor all time record in the World Cup. It reached the semifinals in the very first World Cup, but suffered one humiliating defeat after another in the development of the sport, failing to qualify even in this weak continent for the 9 World Cups between 1950 and 1990. As hosts in 1994, the US showed some promise, advancing thanks mostly to that sadly fatal own goal in the Colombian match. 1998 was a step back, I believe mostly because of an overreliance upon the supposed stars of the 1994 team. Thankfully in 2002 the USA introduced some real players, not just long haired marketing machines, and it paid off with a run to the quarterfinals, and if not for a missed obvious handball, the US reaching the final wouldn't have been out of the question. A lot of that was due to Brad Friedel playing superman and making saves which bordered on impossible, and I'll go on to say that only Oliver Kahn meant more to his team in 2002.
Many 2002 players return for Germany, and qualifying was the easiest it's been in modern history. The USA qualified with three matches to go basically, sealing things with a fantastic win over Mexico, which capped a 5 game winning streak, each an impressive win.
The team is pretty well blended between players based in MLS and those based overseas (Germany and England, mainly). Claudio Reyna I still think is the best playmaker in the midfield, so his injury worries me greatly. Keeping remains a strong point, as Keller always plays better in international competitions, occasionally incredible. Howard and Hahnemann give depth few other teams have. Those keepers are definitely helped by the size and strength ogf Oguchi Onyewu, who may just be the best player on the roster. McBride will probably be the biggest scoring threat, but don't be surprised if Beasley's speed is tough to handle in the Czech match.
But the one to watch is Landon Donovan. Yes, he wasn't able to hack it in Germany before. Yes, he sometimes has trouble with physical, bigger defenders. But he's also the one player attacking on the US roster who has made me surprised by plays I didn't think Americans could do. He's dangerous outside the box. He can whip crosses in. He can slip behind opponents. And he's hitting his prime. Plus, never forget the power of narrative in the World Cup. A young Donovan was pretty much shamed by German soccer. Watch him return and show what they missed. He'll be the best American player.
But the group is just too tough. Had the US gotten Mexico's draw, easy advance. Costa Rica's, easy advance. Even Trinidad and Tobago's, they'd probably advance. But instead they're stuck with two exceptional European teams, and a good African team. No gimmes. And worst still, they play the two big Euros first, and Ghana last. So the US doesn't get the advantage of posting something on the board against the small team for the others to match.
In the opener against the Czechs, the US faces the best keeper in the world (really, three of the best keepers in the cup are in group E) and two tall forwards. The forwards don't scare me too much on normal plays from the field, as I think the US central defense can hang with them. But it's the wingers playing back that scare me. Convey especially is just small, and I worry that the US will give up too many corners, and with that size, it'll bite you. The Czech's get one early off a corner to go up 1-0. The US equalize on a Donovan free kick blocked, but the putback goes in. Late in the game the US doesn't want to give up another goal on a corner, and it results in a bad foul in the box. Rosicky converts the PK. 2-1 Czech Republic.
The US won't give up though. The next Saturday, the US come out swinging against Italy. Using speed and not letting the Italians push them around, the US score twice in the first half, stunning Buffon and most of Europe. Late in the second half, Totti gets a PK under dubious circumstances, and that goal may end up costing the US. A 2-1 win, the first ever for the Red, White and Blue, but things are still unsettled in terms of advancing.
Luckily the US have Ghana last, and there are plenty of ways things could work out for them. A win over the Black Stars, along with a Czech win or draw against Italy puts the US through. And the US does their part, scoring early with a McBride header. Early in the second half, Donovan converts a penalty. But late in the game Ghana scores to make it 2-1. It's a costly goal.
The Italians beat the Czechs, and three teams sit tied for the group lead with 6 points. The Italians lead on goal differential, so they take first. The Czechs score one more goal than the Yanks, sending the Americans home with as good or better a preliminary record than 7 of the advancing teams. 2 wins and a loss, 6 points, +1 goal differential, 5 goals, but a bitter pill to swallow.
If this were March Madness, the US would be... a school in a somewhat poor conference that isn't really a basketball school, but gets behind the team when it counts. When the bright lights come on, they look great, but suffer from a heartbreaking draw and tough circumnstances. Had I picked the US to advance far, they'd be Florida or Texas. But with this early exit, I'm guessing Alabama.
Thank the Lord I don't have to watch this dude lose every single ball played into the corner. I'm stunned that he's the most capped player in US history. Seriously.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
#18: Los Tricolores
MEXICO
Where? South o' the Border.
How big? Pretty big. Three times larger than Texas. Population is a little less than a third of the US.
Something I didn't know before reading the CIA factbook entry... Lots, actually. I didn't know Mexico had compulsory 1 year military service. Only 12% of the land is arable (drier than I thought). The lack of clean water and deforestation are considered by the Mexican government to be national security issues. As in, they fear uprising because there isn't enough water. That blows my mind. 18% of the population work in agriculture, but only 4% of the GDP is in the Agriculture sector. That seems really confusing, and sort of sad for the farmers. Get this: only Brazil and the US have more airports than Mexico.
Geopolitical significance is quite great. Mexico has one of the world's 15 largest economies, larger than South Korea, Australia, Taiwan. It's got 50% more oil reserves than the US. It's strategically located directly next to the world's superpower. And that border just happens to be the hot button political issue of the day.
Something fun about Mexico? Ask any senior in high school if Mexico is fun. It is, in fact, fun. Look up Salma Hayek on the internet.
Let's get to it...
Mexico are considered one of the top teams in the world, and they're seeded as if they are one. However, their record in World Cups is, in a word, underwhelming. They make the finals most of the time, but they've never advanced past the quarterfinals, and they've only gotten that far with home field advantage. Perhaps no other team has a more undeserved reputation. And if that sounds like the voice of a bitter dude pissed that Mexico gets seeded instead of the USA, well, call a spade a spade. Mexico has fared better in the Copa America.
Probably the main reason for the respect given to Mexico is the way they typically have an easy time of qualifying for the World Cup. It's time we all faced facts: North America just isn't that great at soccer. This time around was no different. Mexico qualified with two games to go, with really only two games going against them, a 1-1 draw in Panama, and a defeat to the USA in Columbus.
One reason I always thought Mexico was overrated was that deference was always given to the Mexican league (one of the few long-standing leagues outside of Europe). And since most Mexican players remained in country, and the league was respected, for some reason, the rest of the world gave undeserved credit. And since Mexican soccer kind of developed on its own, the growth of the game elsewhere, and innovations seen elsewhere, definitely hurt Mexico on the world stage. It may have changed recently, since a few players have gone overseas. Openness can only help Mexico.
The Mexican attack should be strong, if LaVolpe can figure out how to use them all. Jared Borgetti, the first Mexican player in the Premiership, should be the main scoring threat, and he's had success in Europe. Fonseca, Franco, and Bravo are the other options. But the one to watch is in the defense, Rafael Marquez. He's a stalwart in the defense for Barcelona, and leads from the back line.
The draw was not unfavorable for Mexico. Of course, when Mexico is seeded, they'll end up with an easier group. Karma allowed for Portugal drawn with them. Iran and Angola aren't the toughest teams in the tournament, so the commenters probably have plenty of arguments as to why predicting them here is selling them short. But I don't see it. I think Mexico fails to advance, which should piss off a lot of people.
They open against Iran in Nuremburg, which I actually think is the biggest game of the group. Borgetti scores early, but Iran gets a penalty, partially thanks to a loud partisan crowd. They convert it, and the game ends 1-1. Mexico is not happy with the result.
They come out flat, too. Angola scores early, stunning the Mexican side. But they don't give up, equalizing and going ahead with a Bravo goal. 2-1 Mexico, but not a great result, since that draw with Iran still lingers.
Mexico goes into the Portugal match thinking it needs to win to ensure advancement. In the opening minutes, things go awry. Ronaldo scores in the fifth minute, making Mexico panic. A few odd substitutions later, and Mexico levels with a Borgetti header. But the European teams show up in Europe, and Luis Figo doesn't want to go out this early. He scores from a free kick just outside the box with 15 minutes to go. 2-1 Portugal. And like that, Mexico are eliminated. And next time, they don't get that huge benefit of seeding.
A win, a draw and a loss, and it's on home. And the mirage that is Mexico's reputation should finally be seen for what it is - vastly overrated.
If the World Cup were March Madness, Mexico would be... a team from a sub-par conference with a great reputation for some reason, mainly based on repeated appearances. But once they're in the tournament, they just don't show up. Yeah, there have been a few Elite 8 appearances, but look at all the early round bounces: Mexico is Gonzaga.
Yes, I just talked a lot of shit about Mexico. Trust me, I know there's value there.
#19: Guaranies or La Albirroja
PARAGUAY
Where? Landlocked in South Central South America. Borders Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia.
How big? Unsure of perception-wise, but it's about the size of California. Population is pretty small, only 6 Million, about the size of Indiana or just a little larger than the Dallas metropolitan area.
Something I learned from the CIA factbook (spotted there, found more info elsewhere)? In the 1860s, Paraguay fought a war against Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay over control of the River Plate region. At the time, Paraguay had about 600,000 people living there. In a quest for a port, the Paraguayan government had aligned itself with a political party in Urugauy (the Blancos) to try to take some Brazilian land that would allow Paraguay sea access. A number of things happened, and before Paraguay could really take any military action, things had changed drastically. A Pro-Brazil political party had taken power in Uruguay, and the Blancos asked for help from Paraguay. Instead of helping immediately, the Paraguayan military captured a Brazillian ship and declared war on Brazil and Argentina. As incredible as this may seem today, at the time, the Paraguayan military was one of the strongest in South America, and dwarfed the size of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay combined. Apparently Paraguay had awakened sleeping giants. After a 5 year war, the Paraguayan population was not just decimated (a tenth), but a full two-thirds of the male population had been lost, and some estimates are even worse. It took basically a century for the country to recover. Strangely, if not for Brazil, Paraguay wouldn't exist today. After the War of the Triple Alliance, Argentina wanted to divide all Paraguayan lands in half between Brazil and Argentina (thinking the best lands would go to Argentina). Brazil preferred having a buffer state and refused to accept partition. Another crazy thing is that this war effectively ended slavery in Brazil - slaves who fought in the war were given freedom. Enough history lesson...
Geopolitical importance? Not much, really, because it's a land-locked country with few natural resources. Hydroelectricity has been one good thing to come about, and the Itaipu Dam on the Parana River is the larges hydroelectric power facility in the world (unless the Three Gorges Dam in China ends up passing it), creating almost 80% of the energy in Paraguay and over a quarter of the energy used in Brazil. It appears that there was a really bad outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease there in the early 2000s, but we only hear about that when it happens in Britain, Canada or Japan.
Anything fun? Israeli Nazi hunters tracked Dr. Mengele there, but the Holocaust isn't fun at all. Took a while to find, but this is fun... The Guarani are the indigenous people of Paraguay - about 95% of the population are mestizos mized with Guarani - and they had their own mythology. One interesting character is Kurupi. Kurupi is the God of forests and fertility. He's sometimes mixed together with (because he allegedly looks like) Pombero, the God of mischief. Both Kurupi and Pombero are blamed for unexpected or unwanted pregnancies. Both Kurupi and Pombero are described as looking short, ugly and hairy. But if you want to know that you've seen Kurupi in a vision, look to the belt. Supposedly, Kurupi's massive penis is so elongated that he's forced to wrap it around his waist several times. The gigantic member gets blamed for unwanted pregnancies because it is so large, allegedly, he doesn't even have to enter a house to impregnate a woman. The rod can just float inside through a window or something. Now, that's more fun than nazis in hiding, isn't it?
Soccer:
Paraguay aren't among the titans of South American Soccer, but they're no pushovers either. A solid member of the second tier behind Brazil and Argentina. This is Paraguay's 7th foray into the world cup, and they've advanced past the initial round 3 previous times, and in fact in their last three attempts - 2002, 1998, 1986. They've also won two Copa Americas, but not since 1979, and in recent years they haven't been able to get past the quarterfinals. Their most recent major tournament was probably Paraguay's finest hour in any sport. They lost to Argentina in the final of the 2004 Olympic Soccer tournament. That silver medal was the first medal any Paraguayan had ever won in an Olympics.
Qualifying for Germany got off to a rocky start in the rarefied air in Peru, where a 1-1 halftime score turned into a 4-1 defeat, showing that playing a twice sea level can be a bitch. Similar outcomes were seen at Ecuador and Bolivia. But at home Paraguay was tough to beat, winning 6, drawing two and only losing one (which was after they'd clinched a spot in Germany). The win against Argentina at home was the first ever in a long series of qualifying matches against Argentina.
The one face of Paraguayan soccer that the rest of the world knows is Jose Luis Chilavert, the flamboyant and brash keeper known for pushing forward and not infrequently scoring (he's the world's all time leading scorer among keepers). However, he has retired and new faces will be looked to. It should be OK, considering Paraguay advanced out of the group in Korea/Japan despite not having Chilavert in two of the games due to suspension (spitting on Roberto Carlos: classy).
The team is composed of players based all over. Only 5 of the selected players play in Paraguay - same number as based in Argentina. Another 4 play in Mexico, 3 in Germany and Spain, and others in Brazil, Italy, and Holland.
Chilavert's retirement doesn't mean that keeping in Paraguay will become a problem. Indeed, often times Chilavert's brashness hurt the team as much as it helped, especially against top international teams with the ability to counterattack. In his place now sits Justo Villar, a top keeper in Argentina for Newell's Old Boys (whom he led to the title in 2004). Another well known player is Jose Saturnino Cardozo, the nation's most capped player and all-time leading scorer. He's again on the roster, but his age and some injuries may prevent him from getting on the pitch too much. Still he's the last winner of the award for South American Footballer of the Year not named Tevez. Injuries also have snakebitten one of Paraguay's best scoring threats - Bayern Munich's Roque Santa Cruz. He's on the roster, but hasn't played in any of the lead-up friendlies due to tendinitis.
The one to watch, then, is Nelson Valdez. He's 23, and just now reaching his prime. Recently he transferred to Borussia Dortmund from Werder Bremen, so he knows the European games and won't shy from the stages of the Bundesliga stadia. Valdez hasn't had as many caps as you might expect for a player in this category, but recently he's made the most of it, scoring against Georgia and Norway. With the injury to Roque, look for Valdez to be the option up front.
The draw isn't the most difficult in the Cup, since I'd say Paraguay and Sweden are pretty close on talent and the fourth team in the group is the least talented in the entire draw. But the schedule doesn't work out well for Paraguay. Often confidence matters in cups, and opening against England, with this younger squad could hurt them.
And I do think the England game will cost them, because it'll be a closely contested match. Intensity should be high and surely the pressure will be on England far more than Paraguay. But I fear the Paraguayan propensity to concede late goals in qualifying, and their inability to defeat even mid-level European opponents in Europe (Denmark and Norway in recent friendlies). I think this one stays scoreless until late, when Owen breaks through and nets the winner (I could even see this as a PK). 1-0 England.
The hangover will hurt Paraguay severely. While Paraguay has to dwell over what could've been, Sweden will be riding high off a sound beating of Trinidad and Tobago. Sweden scores early and nets a second one just before the half. Defense rules the rest of the day, and Sweden hold on for a 2-0 win. This is the key game though - even a draw here could put Paraguay through.
But Paraguay won't go home empty handed, even though advancement is impossible. They'll show pride and pound Trinidad 3-0. One last goal for Cardozo, who retires from international football afterward.
One win, two losses, even on goal differential, and three goals. That places them 19th among teams in the tournament.
If this were March Madness, Paraguay would be... a reliable tournament attendee, who advances somewhat frequently, but never climbs out from the shadow of the local powerhouses and relies on one or two big names for recognition. Could be NC State, but the style doesn't really fit and it's a little smaller. I'll go with Wake Forest.
Much like Paraguay's great goalkeeping tradition, the Itaipu holds strong, allowing only what is necessary to pass.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
#20: Nati
SUISSE
Where? Central Europe, between France, Germany, Italy and Austria.
How big? A little bigger than Maryland, so pretty small. Population is about the size of Virginia.
Something I learned from the CIA Factbook? Switzerland is old, especially for the kind of government it has. It's a confederation of cantons, but dates back to 1291 - back when every nation was a kingdom. It started as a confederation of just 3 cantons, but now it's 26. Also, military service is compulsory, which I thought was kind of odd for a country that prides itself on neutrality.
Geopolitical significance: It is estimated that over a third of the entire world's private and institutional capital is held by banks in Switzerland, due to the favorable, secret, and stable banking economy. One third of the world's private capital is located in this small country. That's mind blowing to me.
Something fun about Switzerland? Quick hits here: Ricola is actually a mixed up name, coming from the name of the original company and the town it started in: Richterich & Company, Lauten. Swiss Miss? Not Swiss! Created by an Italian-American immigrant from Sicily. And then there's the glacier story. A Swiss ski resort has been wrapping a glacier on its mountain because it has been retreating so rapidly (many believe due to global warming). The wrap is kind of a foil that aims to prevent overmelting in the summer. When they first wrapped the glacier, Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund, get this, protested because they thought global warming was a bigger issue than just wrapping the glacier. Yeah. Nice job there, way to train your sights on they guys causing the problem.
Soccer...
The Swiss have a middling history in international soccer. In the World Cup's earliest days, Switzerland made the quarterfinals three times, but they've only advanced past the group stage once since 1954 (in the USA '94). The three big neighbors of Switzerland all overshadow them on the pitch though.
Qualifying for the Cup might've been tougher than any other team in the entire tournament. They were drawn in the European Group of Death, along with France, Ireland and upstarts Israel. This group went back and forth the entire time, with only three points separating the top 4 teams. Basically, everyone beat up on Cyprus and the Faeroes, and the rest of the games were close. In fact, three teams didn't lose a game, and the Irish only lost once. The Swiss took second in the group because of goal differential over Israel. Their prize for placing second - possibly the toughest of the playoff teams, 2002 third place finisher Turkey. After winning 2-0 in Bern, the Swiss had to travel to one of Europe's most difficult places to play. They fell 4-2, but those two away goals sent the Swiss through.
The team itself is built with players stationed in many of the top leagues in Europe. One high profile scorer is Alexander Frei, the leading scorer in France's Ligue 1 in 2004-5, and that's typically a league where there are plenty of scorers. Injuries have hurt him lately, including an annoying groin injury.
The one to watch, though not really for aesthics, is the captain, Johann Vogel. He's a defensive midfielder for AC Milan and is prone to play to the back. He's a sharp passer and can take possession away well though. If the Cup ends up a defensive battle, he could be crucial - though this isn't really the group where that should happen.
In fact, the draw has things shaping up to be some of the more attractive soccer in the tournament. Unfortunately, the Swiss are the clodhoppers in a group of ballerinas.
They open against France, and this is bad for the Swiss. France did not score a goal in 2002 while defending their title. That will not happen again. France, actually, I think has the talent to win the Cup. The Swiss don't. Should be fun for fans though. Henry scores, the Swiss are content to lose by one.
Not too down from their opener loss, the Swiss rebound against Togo, scoring twice early, but giving up one late. A 2-1 win.
The Swiss have hopes to qualify for the next round with a win or possibly with a draw against South Korea. The clash of styles doesn't help the Swiss though. Korea uses their speed and quickness advantage and scores twice before conceding one back. 2-1 Korea.
One win, two losses, 3 goals, -1 goal differential. Not a great result, but they probably shouldn't have made it this far either.
If the World Cup were March Madness, the Swiss would be... a small school in a ridiculously good conference that occasionally makes the tournament, but doesn't make many waves. Vanderbilt seems about right.
Can't wait for Chris Berman to do the highlights and throw in a "Ri-GOALLLLLLLLLL-a". No, wait, I think I'd rather shove a hot poker in my eye.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
#21: Bialo-Czerwoni
POLSKA
Where? East of Germany, West of Ukraine and Belarus, Northeast Europe.
How Big? Slightly smaller than Cote d'Ivoire, about the size of New Mexico. Population is bigger than California, around the same size as Argentina.
Something I learned in the CIA Factbook entry... Not much, actually. Poland is kind of an average country - not as undeveloped as many of the other Warsaw Pact nations, but nowhere near as productive as any of the Western European nations. It's more literate than the USA - 99.8%.
Geopolitical importance? It's a growing economy, but they've suffered growing pains of late. It's one of the poorer countries in the EU, and the current government has taken some positions that counter prevailing EU thoughts, such as instituting the death penalty. Poland has always been an important buffer between European powers Russia and Germany.
Anything fun about Poland? Maybe not. I spent way longer than I should've trying to find something fun there. Apparently it is a cold place, and the things to see include Nazi concentration camps and nobody seems to write about other things. I'm depressed just doing searches. I would link to a site of Polish jokes, but even they aren't really funny.
Is there anything good about the soccer?
Sort of. It's good they qualified for the World Cup, but Poland isn't really considered one of the premier teams in Europe. In actuality, Poland has a pretty good history in the World Cup. They've finished in third place on two occasions (1974 and 1982), including the last time the Cup was in Germany. On two other occasions, Poland has advanced past the group round. Oddly, they've never even qualified for the European Cup. Poland has had even better success in the Olympics, taking Silver Medals twice and winning Gold in Munich in 1972. One oddity: Poland is probably home to the maybe the most famous soccer player in history. No, not Pele. It's Pope John Paul II, who grew up playing goalkeeper in his hometown of Wadowice.
Qualifying for this year's Cup went well for Poland, in that they absolutely dominated everyone in their group except England. True enough, England was the only good team in their preliminary group and they lost home and away. Austria has had decent teams in the past and Poland beat them twice (including a big 3-1 win in Vienna). Poland actually qualified for the cup going into their last match against England, because even with a loss the Poles had one of the best records for non-group-winners.
The Polish team might not be big on names, but there's definitely talent on the team. One advantage they have is their size up front, and they'll use their height advantage by whipping crosses in. The player to watch is striker Maciej Zurawski, who plays for Celtic. Keen nose for the goal there, scoring 20 times for the Bhoys.
Poland is probably a good bet to advance, since they'll have a crowd advantage in 2 of their three prelim games and it's a favorable group, with no clear second-best team. I'm going a little against the grain here, thinking they won't advance.
The opener in Gelsenkirchen proves to be a loud place, and the height advantage works for the Poles, who get by Ecuador 1-0.
The second match doesn't prove as fruitful, as the home team Germans clinch advancement by winning 2-1. Poland's strengths match up with Germany's, but Germany's just better.
Finally, with everything on the line, Poland will line up against Costa Rica. Poland scores first, with a strong Zurawski header. But the Ticos spirit isn't broken, and they use speed and counterattacks to level just before half. Both teams get nervous because of similar qualification standings. The Poles falter though, allowing a slick long pass and goal by Costa Rica. Poland loses 2-1 again and fails to advance.
A successful opener leads to a disappointing finish. But I'm not very confident about this prediction. Poland could very well advance, or even top the group.
If this were March Madness, Poland would be a major conference team that should be better than they are, but also aren't as bad as you think they are, and a team that makes the occasional long run. Maybe Wisconsin?
JPII was an honorary member of Schalke 04, in whose stadium the Poles play their first game in this Cup.
Hawks Draft Lottery
I wrote a bunch about this a while ago, so I guess I need to comment now.
Basically, tonight's Lottery results hurt Billy Knight. In the immediate, because at #5, the top frontcourt players (Aldridge and Thomas) will likely be gone, the top point guards would be a reach there, and the best players likely on the board there are all either shooting guards, which BK spent an asston for last year, or small forwards, of which the Hawks could use about one fewer. In the less immediate, picking 5th hurts even worse because of the Diaw/Johnson trade. Now the Hawks are stuck with the 5th pick in a weak draft, where the top players are probably off the board. Meanwhile, if the Hawks end up 5th next year, they'd probably get a stud in a really loaded draft, but that pick would go to Phoenix (the Hawks pick is only protected through 3).
Best case scenario for the Hawks: trade down and get Marcus Williams or a lesser respected big man, and maybe pick up another pick next year or something.
Sorry for the time off
Family crisis. Hopefully I can catch up tonight, but I leave for Frisco tomorrow until Tuesday, so it might be a while before we really catch up.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
#22: Blues
NIPPON
Where? Archipelago in Northwestern Pacific Ocean.
How Big? Decent sized. About the size of California. Incredibly densely populated. About 40% the population of the US in about 4% of the space.
Something I learned from the CIA Factbook... Well, it seems we learn a lot about Japan, so there wasn't much new in the CIA entry. The longest lifespan of anyone in the World Cup (only tiny countries are ahead overall). After Japanese, Korean, and Chinese ethnic groups, the largest in Japan is... Brazillian? Really. It seems a large group migrated there in the 1990s for jobs. Then there's this, which I couldn't believe. Japan's public debt is one of the largest in the world. 170% the national GDP, 3rd largest in the world and nearly three times the US's. Surprised me because people always used to talk about the trade imbalance with Japan, and I guess it's counterintuitive.
Geopolitical importance? Despite the large public debt, and an economy that has faced difficulties lately, Japan is still one of the most important economic nations on earth. In fact, it's third larges, after only the US and China - amazing because it's only a fraction the size of each and has only limited natural resources. At the same time, Japan requires a lot of imports just to feed itself.
Something fun about Japan... Go to Engrish.com. It's definitely fun.
Why are you predicting this team to go out so early? Aren't they supposed to be good?
I guess this is the first real disappointment of my list - or at least the first team that a lot of people are predicting to advance.
Japan's soccer tradition is recently emerging. The J-League started in 1993, and since then soccer has been growing in popularity, almost to Baseball and Sumo levels. The national theam has improved dramatically and become one of the elite teams in Asia. Japan qualified for the World Cup in 1998 and automatically as host in 2002. 1998 was kind of a disaster, as cups often are for debutantes. They lost all three games, only scoring one goal. 2002 was much better, as they won two and drew one of their group matches, though they sat in the easiest group in the cup by leaps and bounds. They bowed out to Turkey in the first knockout round. In the Asian Cup, Japan has had more success recently as well, winning 3 of the last 4 cups.
Qualifying for Germany was more difficult in the games than it looked on paper, but Japan still ran through the group failing to take full points just once - in Tehran. Japan didn't have to play in North Korea because of politics, and took full points in a match in Bangkok.
There's no question that the J league is responsible for Japan's improvement on the international stage, and the bulk of the national team plays there. Some players have set up shop in Europe though, like the veteran Hidetoshi Nakata at Bolton (selling plenty of Reebok jerseys) and Junichi Inamoto, who bounced around after signing with Arsenal back in the day (to sell a lot of jerseys).
The one to watch is Shunsuke Nakamura, a midfielder and creative playmaker who plays most of the time at Celtic. He's small and gets pushed around (one big reason why I think Japan will struggle). But he's also quick and gets the ball forward well. Watch for him whenever a free kick is within striking range.
I think Japan will have a roller coaster trip in Germany, with a good amount of scoring. But inevitably things will be disappointing for Japan. Their success in 2002 was partly bouyed by favorable crowds and a light schedule. People forget how bad they were in 1998. Expectations for Japan to advance are probably misguided. This team is a lot like the 1998 USA team that finished last out of all 32.
In the opener, Japan's experience actually helps against the amped up Aussies. Japan concedes a goal, but stays focused and uses skill in the midfield to score twice in the second half and open with a 2-1 win.
In the second match, against Croatia, Japan scores twice in the first half, but hubris sets in. Croatia start using its size advantage up front. It works, and Japan has no answer. Croatia scores three times in the second half, including the clincer in stoppage time. 3-2 Croatia. Japan is stunned. They went from securing advancement to staring down elimination in 45 minutes. Croatia and Japan played close in 1998, but a Suker score late sealed it.
And after all that, Japan has to play Brazil. Brazil has already clinched a spot in the knockout round, but still outclasses Japan. Robinho makes a mark with two goals. 2-0 Brazil.
A step back for Japan, but the future's still bright there. 2010 should be much better.
If the World Cup were March Madness, Japan would be a mid major team that has great run one year, getting to the Sweet Sixteen, and then follows it up with a great regular season the next year, only to get a good seed and bow out early. Gonzaga from a few years ago seems right.
Savor it, Japan. Not gonna happen twice this year.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
#23: Les Elephants
COTE D'IVOIRE
Where? Western Africa, facing South, just West of Ghana.
How big? About the size of New Mexico (or Poland). Population is a little smaller than New York.
What did I learn from the CIA Factbook? Cote d'Ivoire went nearly 40 years into its post-colonial history without a military coup, but since 1999, there's basically been one after another. Here's something else I learned: my textbooks and atlases were all wrong. I grew up thinking the capital was at Abidjan. Then I heard somewhere that the capital had moved, but that it was recent. Turns out the capital moved in 1983. I know that my high school geography class (nearly 10 years later) required us to know an incorrect fact. Mrs. Hopper you have placed yourself on my list. Inaccuracy shall not be tolerated.
Is there anything of geopolitical importance? Why yes. The decade has been filled with civil war, to the point where French troops have been there for a while. In 2004, 6,000 UN peacekeepers set up shop. They were supposed to have held elections last year, but that hasn't happened. The ESPN commercial where Bono tells us that the World Cup caused a cease fire is inspiring and all, but it's not like everyone is holding hands and drinking cokes on grassy hills. There's still some serious violence.
Fun? I think it's funny that the CIA Factbook says that the Ivorian banking system's corruption makes it a perfect spot for money laundering, but it's too underdeveloped to actually do it. OK. That's more ironic than funny. This isn't funny either, but it's interesting: the Presidential Palace in the capital (Yamoussoukro, Mrs. Hopper!) is surrounded by a moat filled with crocodiles. In an odd tourist attraction, they actually have feeding time for the crocs (live chickens, supposedly). Seems a very welcoming and democratic palace.
Soccer:
A first time qualifier, which kind of surprised me. For a country with a relatively peaceful history (and close tie to France), they've never had much success on the pitch. But then the government falls apart and the soccer team starts playing great. Weird.
An odd bit of trivia: Cote d'Ivoire has won the two longest penalty shootouts in international soccer history. They beat Cameroon 12-11 in a 24 shot shootout, and beat Ghana 11-10 in a 22 shot shootout. Great keeping there.
Qualifying this time wasn't supposed to be good. They were placed in what most considered the African group of death (hang on to this thought for a minute), paired with Egypt and Cameroon. But despite that, the Elephants came out swinging, jumping to the top of the group, while favorites Cameroon limped along, losing to Egypt and drawing with Libya and Sudan. Things didn't stay too bright though, as Cameroon found their legs - and beat Cote d'Ivoire both times. The second loss to Cameroon dropped the Elephants from the top, and few thought Cameroon would give up the lead. But they play the games for a reason. Cote d'Ivoire won on the road at Sudan 3-1, while Cameroon gave up an equalizer in the 79th minute to Egypt at home. The Elephants didn't exactly back into the cup, but they surely had some help.
The national team is actually loaded with talented professionals. Many players play in France (and a few actually lived in France most of their lives, like Drogba). Ivorians have become some of the highest priced players in the world too, and English sides have lined up to pay ridiculous sums.
The back line is solid, with Emmanuel Ebouye and Kolo Toure, who both make Arsenal tough to score on (Toure more than Ebouye). Toure is fast, and can keep pace with streaking strikers. Also watch Didier Zokora in the midfield, who is tough enough to knock around opposing strongmen. Man U was after him for a while.
And the one player who will get the most attention, likely, is Didier Drogba. Yes, he's often a poor finisher. He's likely overpaid at Chelsea (only Rooney was paid more for in English history, well... until Chelsea sign Shevchenko for half the Ukrainian GDP this summer). But he also led the Premiership in assists. And he's scored more international goals than anyone in Cote d'Ivoire history. He's a big target, can find the net, and gets others involved. Critics will have their say, but he's the guy they'll be watching too.
Remember above when I said they were in the African "Group of Death"? Yeah, the draw for Germany did them no favors either. Group C is the toughest group. Cote d'Ivoire would advance in 6 of the 8 groups. Unfortunately, this is one of the two.
They open with what might be the best team in the tournament, Argentina. Welcome to the world's stage. Now, if I were a bold man, I'd predict Cote d'Ivoire to shock the world and pull the upset in the opener, catching the Argentines unawares, kind of like the hyped Portuguese were shocked by the USA in 2002. But I'm only sort of bold. Drogba scores early, but the Argentines get a bullshit PK to level it. A late goal by Veron makes it 2-1, undeserved.
The loss sucks the life out of Cote d'Ivoire, and the Dutch take total advantage. Van Nistelrooy scores twice in the first half, Robben adds one in the second. 3-0 Netherlands.
The hangover ends, and the Elephants decide just to have some fun in the finale. Drogba scores twice. They give up a late penalty, but they secure a win. 2-1. A big win, though it doesn't get them through.
The first two matches have to be a disappointment, but the final game shows that there's solid talent in Cote d'Ivoire. The Elephants should be back in South Africa, and could make a run there. In just about any other group, they'd advance. And I know that I've already listed all the African teams. Trust me, I have great respect for them, and I wouldn't be surprised if one of them sneak into the knockout phase. But the draw was unkind to the African teams. And worst of all to Cote d'Ivoire. That last win is worth savoring though.
If this were March Madness, Cote d'Ivoire would be... a team that comes out of nowhere, but is filled with solid talent. Good enough to knock off a big conference, but it's not clear if they'll actually do it. Maybe Northwestern State from last year?
Why waste money on metal detectors to protect the president? Just surround him with these nice little fellas.
