Schizophrenia Rules At World Cup
IS PEAKING TOO EARLY A BAD THING?; GROUP OF DEATH DIES
GROUP A>>>The Germany-Poland match for sheer tempo and nationalism may have been this World Cup's best. Decades of angst were in full effect and it showed with tough sliding tackles and a frenetic pace throughout the game. That the Germans won in the 90th minute was not worthy of a tough and evenly played contest...Ecuador continues to play an attractive, almost carefree style led by Carlos Tenorio. They are quite possibly, the only team that has played two effective matches. There is a very real possibility that Ecuador could win this group forcing Germany to play England in the round of 16.
GROUP B>>>Despite the cacophony of dread coming from the U.K., England has played just well enough to win two games. The Brits haven't strained themselves and have been able to slowly move Wayne Rooney back into the lineup. There is something to be said about blowing your load too early in this competition and England definitely hasn't...Sweden has somehow put themselves in a good position by fortune of a surprisingly weak group. Paraguay just didn't show up and T&T is a squad that shouldn't even be in this tournament despite practically playing all ten men back. Delightful.
GROUP C>>>>Sorry about the crude sexual phrase above, but talk of peaking too early starts with Argentina. It's kind of silly to fault the most dominating performance of the World Cup as being a job too well done, but who did they beat? A team with a country that won't exist by the time qualifying begins for the 2010 Cup...Holland's Ruud Van Nistelroy is heating up. The Man U. striker could pose huge problems for both of Group D's entrants, either Portugal or Mexico in the knockout stages...The "Group of Death" seems to be mislabeled. Argentina and the Netherlands have clearly been the class of the group, while in hindsight, its seems odd that pundits thought much of the Ivory Coast and Serbia and Montenegro. It was as if everybody figured one team from Africa would shock the world and the Serbians must have been good because they didn't allow a goal in qualification. It hasn't turned out that way.
GROUP D>>>Portugal continues a path similar to England. Their match against Iran was similar to their first. Ricardo wasn't tested in goal. Their defense continued to play decisively led by Miguel, who also has shown some offensive flair and Luis Figo continues to drink from the Fountain of Youth. Portugal's tendency to play as 11 players instead of one, may exhaust them farther into the tournament. Christiano Ronaldo could pass the ball more often instead of performing magic tricks with his feet...Mexico looks lost with Jared Borgetti. He won't be available for their important match Wednesday against Portugal. Still, without the Bolton reserve, Mexico should advance. Iran hasn't played very well in their own box, but that doesn't mean it hasn't stifled both Mexico and Portugal in the midfield.
GROUP E>>>Meet the new "Group of Death". When the group resumes play on Thursday which one will show up? All four teams have been afflicted with schizophrenia, none more than the U.S. and the Czech Republic. Did their opening match really happen? Lost in the fact that the Americans must win against Ghana is the fact that Italy must win with a very vocal Italian press and fans screaming at them...Eddie Pope's red card was probably warranted Saturday, but it could also help the Americans because Pope has not played well in two games...The Tailgater told you! The Czechs are old, overrated and untested at this level. Two of three things everybody said about the U.S...If things had turned out differently, Freddy Adu could have been lining up for his native Ghana against the U.S. Thursday instead of languishing at D.C. United.
GROUP F>>>Brazil has done what it was supposed to do; beat Croatia and Australia and most likely romp against Japan, but the aftertaste of those lackluster wins is lingering around the World Cup. Is this tournament wide open again? If Brazil fails to win its sixth title it will be because their manager Carlos Perreira didn't have the guts to sit the three-time World Player of the Year, Ronaldo. He's a drain on this team. I'm not sure his replacement, Robinho, could stand up to the beating of 90 minutes, but Ronaldo is just sitting in the box eating donuts and coffee...Australia played very well against Brazil. It was the brief moments that they didn't that cost them. All in all, a do-or-die match against Croatia is what they had hoped for. Striker Harry Kewell has to get better shots off and stay onside.
GROUP G>>>France has to be thanking their lucking stars for two reasons: they're playing a Togo team that seems to love creating distractions off the pitch and Zinedine Zidane won't be playing because of yellow card accumulation. If Thierry Henry doesn't get going without the past-his-prime legend that most claim he cannot co-exist then France may be dropped again in the first round...Shame on me for counting out the Koreans. In two games, they have duplicated their tremendous work rate from 2002 and if they win this group, should be mentioned on the short list of emerging soccer powers. Same could be said for Switzerland, who have shown amazing poise for such a young team. Kudos to the Swiss federation for taking such a promising, but inexperience team to the World Cup in preparation for hosting the 2008 European Championship. I'm amazed at how organized their defense plays together. They have yet to be put in a bad defensive posture as evident by two clean sheets.
GROUP H>>>The Spaniards are truly playing with their country's minds. The early Tunisian goal must have sent fear of another Spanish collapse through the Iberian peninsula, but they regrouped and looked every bit as dominant as their first game against Ukraine. How are we to trust this squad? The key to this team is their bench. No team in the world can bring a striker like Raul off the bench...No way can you equate Ukraine's resurgence with America's. Just look at the opponent. After giving up an embarrassing eight goals to Germany in 2002, the Saudi were ripped for four today...Does anybody want to finish second in Group H? Three relatively weak offensive teams get the chance to possibly meet Switzerland in the round of 16.
GROUP A>>>The Germany-Poland match for sheer tempo and nationalism may have been this World Cup's best. Decades of angst were in full effect and it showed with tough sliding tackles and a frenetic pace throughout the game. That the Germans won in the 90th minute was not worthy of a tough and evenly played contest...Ecuador continues to play an attractive, almost carefree style led by Carlos Tenorio. They are quite possibly, the only team that has played two effective matches. There is a very real possibility that Ecuador could win this group forcing Germany to play England in the round of 16.
GROUP B>>>Despite the cacophony of dread coming from the U.K., England has played just well enough to win two games. The Brits haven't strained themselves and have been able to slowly move Wayne Rooney back into the lineup. There is something to be said about blowing your load too early in this competition and England definitely hasn't...Sweden has somehow put themselves in a good position by fortune of a surprisingly weak group. Paraguay just didn't show up and T&T is a squad that shouldn't even be in this tournament despite practically playing all ten men back. Delightful.
GROUP C>>>>Sorry about the crude sexual phrase above, but talk of peaking too early starts with Argentina. It's kind of silly to fault the most dominating performance of the World Cup as being a job too well done, but who did they beat? A team with a country that won't exist by the time qualifying begins for the 2010 Cup...Holland's Ruud Van Nistelroy is heating up. The Man U. striker could pose huge problems for both of Group D's entrants, either Portugal or Mexico in the knockout stages...The "Group of Death" seems to be mislabeled. Argentina and the Netherlands have clearly been the class of the group, while in hindsight, its seems odd that pundits thought much of the Ivory Coast and Serbia and Montenegro. It was as if everybody figured one team from Africa would shock the world and the Serbians must have been good because they didn't allow a goal in qualification. It hasn't turned out that way.
GROUP D>>>Portugal continues a path similar to England. Their match against Iran was similar to their first. Ricardo wasn't tested in goal. Their defense continued to play decisively led by Miguel, who also has shown some offensive flair and Luis Figo continues to drink from the Fountain of Youth. Portugal's tendency to play as 11 players instead of one, may exhaust them farther into the tournament. Christiano Ronaldo could pass the ball more often instead of performing magic tricks with his feet...Mexico looks lost with Jared Borgetti. He won't be available for their important match Wednesday against Portugal. Still, without the Bolton reserve, Mexico should advance. Iran hasn't played very well in their own box, but that doesn't mean it hasn't stifled both Mexico and Portugal in the midfield.
GROUP E>>>Meet the new "Group of Death". When the group resumes play on Thursday which one will show up? All four teams have been afflicted with schizophrenia, none more than the U.S. and the Czech Republic. Did their opening match really happen? Lost in the fact that the Americans must win against Ghana is the fact that Italy must win with a very vocal Italian press and fans screaming at them...Eddie Pope's red card was probably warranted Saturday, but it could also help the Americans because Pope has not played well in two games...The Tailgater told you! The Czechs are old, overrated and untested at this level. Two of three things everybody said about the U.S...If things had turned out differently, Freddy Adu could have been lining up for his native Ghana against the U.S. Thursday instead of languishing at D.C. United.
GROUP F>>>Brazil has done what it was supposed to do; beat Croatia and Australia and most likely romp against Japan, but the aftertaste of those lackluster wins is lingering around the World Cup. Is this tournament wide open again? If Brazil fails to win its sixth title it will be because their manager Carlos Perreira didn't have the guts to sit the three-time World Player of the Year, Ronaldo. He's a drain on this team. I'm not sure his replacement, Robinho, could stand up to the beating of 90 minutes, but Ronaldo is just sitting in the box eating donuts and coffee...Australia played very well against Brazil. It was the brief moments that they didn't that cost them. All in all, a do-or-die match against Croatia is what they had hoped for. Striker Harry Kewell has to get better shots off and stay onside.
GROUP G>>>France has to be thanking their lucking stars for two reasons: they're playing a Togo team that seems to love creating distractions off the pitch and Zinedine Zidane won't be playing because of yellow card accumulation. If Thierry Henry doesn't get going without the past-his-prime legend that most claim he cannot co-exist then France may be dropped again in the first round...Shame on me for counting out the Koreans. In two games, they have duplicated their tremendous work rate from 2002 and if they win this group, should be mentioned on the short list of emerging soccer powers. Same could be said for Switzerland, who have shown amazing poise for such a young team. Kudos to the Swiss federation for taking such a promising, but inexperience team to the World Cup in preparation for hosting the 2008 European Championship. I'm amazed at how organized their defense plays together. They have yet to be put in a bad defensive posture as evident by two clean sheets.
GROUP H>>>The Spaniards are truly playing with their country's minds. The early Tunisian goal must have sent fear of another Spanish collapse through the Iberian peninsula, but they regrouped and looked every bit as dominant as their first game against Ukraine. How are we to trust this squad? The key to this team is their bench. No team in the world can bring a striker like Raul off the bench...No way can you equate Ukraine's resurgence with America's. Just look at the opponent. After giving up an embarrassing eight goals to Germany in 2002, the Saudi were ripped for four today...Does anybody want to finish second in Group H? Three relatively weak offensive teams get the chance to possibly meet Switzerland in the round of 16.
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Friday, March 02, 2007 7:58:00 PM