Quarterfinal Craziness: Two Shockers Will Advance
IS A UKRAINIAN RESURGENCE IN ORDER? ITALY HOPES NOT
World Cup fever has subsided briefly the past two days in preparation for a flurry of exciting football. After Saturday afternoon the final four will be set. Here's how things may shape up:
GERMANY 2-1 ARGENTINA
The Germans are playing the best football, or, at least, the most attractive football of any team in this tournament. Phillip Lahm has been a revelation for Germany. I'm not impressed with Germany's tandem up front of Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, but they have been exceptionally opportunistic and that's all that really counts. The question is: Who have they played thus far? Costa Rica, Poland, Ecuador and Sweden. Argentina seems like a huge leap in quality for the Germans. Throw out Argentina's game against Serbia-Montenegro and the meaningless defensive-minded match against the Netherlands and what you have is a solid game against the Ivory Coast and a problematic overtime win against Mexico. Midfielder Juan Riquelme may be playing the best football in the tournament, but the German's homefield advantage and frenetic pace will be too much for the Argentine's this time around.
UKRAINE 1-0 ITALY
What a story this would be! After a 4-nil drubbing in the opening game, could a spot in the semifinals be in Ukraine's future? I must admit to the allure of such a great storyline, in addition, to the World Cup premise that at least one side in the semis be a surprise and Ukraine will certainly fit the bill. People talk about England and to some extent Brazil being off kilter despite reaching the quarterfinals. In some respect, the Italians have been even more disheveled and disorganized than anybody else. They've looked ragged in every match including their 2-0 opening win against Ghana. At times, Italy seems like a squad full of guys who've just met each other. This could be the day that everything meshes for Italy, but it also could be the beginning of the end with a foreshadowing of bad things to come from their fortunate win against Australia in the round of 16. Ukraine, on the other hand, has been on a huge upswing since being blown away in their first match against Spain. It may have simply been the case of a World Cup debutante playing too nervously on the world's stage. The offense has begun to come around even as world-class striker Andriy Shevchenko has yet to fully warm his engines and the Ukrainians went toe-to-toe with the best defense in this tournament--Switzerland-- in the round of 16. One shot is going to be all Ukraine needs and it should come from the rejuvenated Shevchenko.
PORTUGAL 1-0 ENGLAND
Deco is missing. Costinha is missing. Christiano Ronaldo says he 79.6 percent sure he'll play Saturday (that's rounded to 80 percent) and the English think FIFA should have suspended Luis Figo. This game, probably because of the elite American soccer groupie's predilection to the British media for news, has become a lesson in broadly painted absolutes. England, with only three strikers (one previously out with a broken foot and one whom the manager has never seen play) is said to have little chance of netting a goal unless David Beckham miraculously and famously bends one in and Portugal will somehow be discombobulated without Deco in the middle of the field. What gives? A nil-nil match decided by penalty kicks? Through the many storylines, including Portugal's supposed thuggery, this game will come down to heart. Portugal comes into this game with the intangibles. Despite missing two starters to red card suspensions, they may be the most veteran side in the tournament outside of Brazil. They are definitely the most physically feared and most of all, they have England's number after eliminating them from the past two European championships. Add to that, if this match heads to penalties, a whole different set of mind games begins to emerge in an English psyche that abhors the pressure of deciding a game in this matter. Maniche could be the man to put England out of its misery. The Boston Red Sox of the world soccer add another torturous chapter.
BRAZIL 3-0 FRANCE
France's come-from-behind win against Spain in the round of 16 was a delightful surprise. Frank Ribery has to have earned a spot in the tournament's Best XI. The freakish looking 22-year-old plays with the pace of a guy loaded off a speed ball. The French looked wonderfully rejuvenated with Zinedine Zidane back in the lineup. For France's sake, Thierry Henry looks like he's ready to explode. If not for a handful of close off-side calls in the Spain match, he may of already taken off. France is going to need a perfect game to upset the world champs. An early goal from either Henry or Ribery is a must along with a long stretch of good defense. When the Brazilians were down briefly against Japan in the group stages an odd cloud of concern blanketed the team. It didn't last long because they quickly equalized and eventually won, 3-1. An extended time behind might rattle the Brazilians. The problem for France, is that Brazil was totally controlled by Ghana and still won handily, 3-0. No team looked so bad, yet made their case for winning the World Cup so precisely. As proven in that game, zero tolerance for errors in transition for France is a certainty against this squad. Sadly, this will probably be the great Zizou's final game.
World Cup fever has subsided briefly the past two days in preparation for a flurry of exciting football. After Saturday afternoon the final four will be set. Here's how things may shape up:
GERMANY 2-1 ARGENTINA
The Germans are playing the best football, or, at least, the most attractive football of any team in this tournament. Phillip Lahm has been a revelation for Germany. I'm not impressed with Germany's tandem up front of Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, but they have been exceptionally opportunistic and that's all that really counts. The question is: Who have they played thus far? Costa Rica, Poland, Ecuador and Sweden. Argentina seems like a huge leap in quality for the Germans. Throw out Argentina's game against Serbia-Montenegro and the meaningless defensive-minded match against the Netherlands and what you have is a solid game against the Ivory Coast and a problematic overtime win against Mexico. Midfielder Juan Riquelme may be playing the best football in the tournament, but the German's homefield advantage and frenetic pace will be too much for the Argentine's this time around.
UKRAINE 1-0 ITALY
What a story this would be! After a 4-nil drubbing in the opening game, could a spot in the semifinals be in Ukraine's future? I must admit to the allure of such a great storyline, in addition, to the World Cup premise that at least one side in the semis be a surprise and Ukraine will certainly fit the bill. People talk about England and to some extent Brazil being off kilter despite reaching the quarterfinals. In some respect, the Italians have been even more disheveled and disorganized than anybody else. They've looked ragged in every match including their 2-0 opening win against Ghana. At times, Italy seems like a squad full of guys who've just met each other. This could be the day that everything meshes for Italy, but it also could be the beginning of the end with a foreshadowing of bad things to come from their fortunate win against Australia in the round of 16. Ukraine, on the other hand, has been on a huge upswing since being blown away in their first match against Spain. It may have simply been the case of a World Cup debutante playing too nervously on the world's stage. The offense has begun to come around even as world-class striker Andriy Shevchenko has yet to fully warm his engines and the Ukrainians went toe-to-toe with the best defense in this tournament--Switzerland-- in the round of 16. One shot is going to be all Ukraine needs and it should come from the rejuvenated Shevchenko.
PORTUGAL 1-0 ENGLAND
Deco is missing. Costinha is missing. Christiano Ronaldo says he 79.6 percent sure he'll play Saturday (that's rounded to 80 percent) and the English think FIFA should have suspended Luis Figo. This game, probably because of the elite American soccer groupie's predilection to the British media for news, has become a lesson in broadly painted absolutes. England, with only three strikers (one previously out with a broken foot and one whom the manager has never seen play) is said to have little chance of netting a goal unless David Beckham miraculously and famously bends one in and Portugal will somehow be discombobulated without Deco in the middle of the field. What gives? A nil-nil match decided by penalty kicks? Through the many storylines, including Portugal's supposed thuggery, this game will come down to heart. Portugal comes into this game with the intangibles. Despite missing two starters to red card suspensions, they may be the most veteran side in the tournament outside of Brazil. They are definitely the most physically feared and most of all, they have England's number after eliminating them from the past two European championships. Add to that, if this match heads to penalties, a whole different set of mind games begins to emerge in an English psyche that abhors the pressure of deciding a game in this matter. Maniche could be the man to put England out of its misery. The Boston Red Sox of the world soccer add another torturous chapter.
BRAZIL 3-0 FRANCE
France's come-from-behind win against Spain in the round of 16 was a delightful surprise. Frank Ribery has to have earned a spot in the tournament's Best XI. The freakish looking 22-year-old plays with the pace of a guy loaded off a speed ball. The French looked wonderfully rejuvenated with Zinedine Zidane back in the lineup. For France's sake, Thierry Henry looks like he's ready to explode. If not for a handful of close off-side calls in the Spain match, he may of already taken off. France is going to need a perfect game to upset the world champs. An early goal from either Henry or Ribery is a must along with a long stretch of good defense. When the Brazilians were down briefly against Japan in the group stages an odd cloud of concern blanketed the team. It didn't last long because they quickly equalized and eventually won, 3-1. An extended time behind might rattle the Brazilians. The problem for France, is that Brazil was totally controlled by Ghana and still won handily, 3-0. No team looked so bad, yet made their case for winning the World Cup so precisely. As proven in that game, zero tolerance for errors in transition for France is a certainty against this squad. Sadly, this will probably be the great Zizou's final game.
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Tuesday, April 24, 2007 4:34:00 PM