Serbia Wins In Red-Card Shocker

Caught On Video:
German Fans Arrested
After Stunning 1-0 Loss

By STEVE SUSI
One Great Season

HAMBURG, Germany -- I just like saying "shocker."

Anyway, where to begin? Watching the Germany-Serbia tilt at the Hyundai Fan Fest in Hamburg promised to be a storied affair, and the excitement was far from lacking. The officiating, on the other hand ...

As I write this on a train somewhere between Hangover, Germany, and Copenhagen, the whistleblower and his trigger-happy tongue already have been well documented the world over. In the Fatherland, as you'd imagine, it was nothing short of tragedy. The CEO of BP can breathe a sigh of relief; someone else's lack of judgment has superceded his own, if only for one flatulent moment, on the front pages of tabloids and other legitimate news sources.

Check out the videographic evidence I shot last night of these two guys epitomizing the mood of the German nation:

Freedom of speech, baby!

It's no coincidence that the game's lone goal came just one minute after Miroslav Klose picked up his second yellow and a trip to the locker room for the remaider of the game and the next one, too. And Germany, long the poster-children for methodical, technically sound football, had 19 fouls, three yellow cards, and of course, Klose's red.

The World Cup does strange things to the men on the pitch. How could it be that this team, just days after decimating Australia 4-0 and looking every bit the quality of a potential champion goes scoreless to lose its first group stage match since 1986?

Another in my litany of questions: Lukas Podolski, how do you miss that penalty shot in the 60th minute? Even though Serbian keeper Vladimir Stokjovic guessed correctly for his dive, the ball was at a tame enough pace for him to routinely reject. This was Germany’s first missed penalty since 1974 — and the first one ever saved by a Serbia/Serbia & Montenegro/Yugoslavia keeper in a Cup match.

After watching Jovanovic tuck the ball under his jersey and skip his way off the field in ecstasy at the final whistle, a stunned German captain Philip Lahm said, "The referee made some strange decisions." Indeed he did, handing out nine yellow cards, a tournament high.

But I think Germany could best describe their own play using those self-same words.

Ghana Can't Take Advantage of Man-Down Socceroos

The men from Down Under soldiered on without midfielder Harry Kewell for 66 minutes to achieve a draw with Ghana after seeing the red mist for the second time in as many games. Kewell inexplicably blocked a shot from Jonathan Mensah with his arm, giving Ghana a penalty kick, which Asamoah Gyan buried in the 25th minute.

Both sides played spirited ball, with the Black Stars repeatedly breaking the Aussie defense with amazing speed but not adding to their tally, while Australia saw some excellent chances despite their man disadvantage, but they, too, failed to capitalize.

Australia coach Pim Verbeek said afterward, "We're still in the race. The boys were fighting for everything, and with everything they had. I can only be proud of the players." Of course he should say that. For a manager to say otherwise would be a breach of coaching protocol. However, I'm not sure what wizard he's consulting with — it's going to take a miracle for the 'Roos to emerge from group play and repeat their overachievement in Germany 2006.

It's hard for me to believe what I'm about to type here in my Copenhagen hotel room, but here goes before we run out to watch babes -- er, the Denmark v Cameroon match:

Ghana leads Group D with four points, followed by Serbia and Germany each with three, and Australia with one.

Click here for Steve's bio and an archive of his previous stories.

Is It Time For Bob Bradley To Be Replaced?

Second-Half Comeback
Saves USMNT, But
Coach Needs To Go

By MIKE DICK
One Great Season

Great fightback. Well done. And yes, the Americans got TOTALLY SCREWED out of the three points in their 2-2 draw with Slovenia on Thursday.

But let's not let the USMNT's fine comeback and the injustice done by the incompetent referee erase the fact that the Americans also bent themselves over with another pathetic first half performance. Every U.S. fan hopes -- and many of them actually believe -- our team is a force to be reckoned with in world football.

But the Slovenians made the U.S. squad look naive and amateurish in the opening 45. The Americans totally lacked passion and commitment aganst a team that called them out and guaranteed they would beat them. Bob Bradley's troops gave Slovenia all the time and space on the ball they wanted. USA couldn't maintain possession, had virtually no midfield and resorted to pumping hopeful long balls up to Jozy Altidore and Robbie Findley. The American defenders were all over the shop, and they paid dearly for it all. Sleepwalking through a match at the World Cup Finals with plenty on the line? They were Yanks alright, but in the masturbatory metaphoric sense.

How on earth the lads were not motivated from the start boggles the mind? The old sports cliche says "you can't fire the players, so you fire the coach." The players should be ashamed of themselves for that first-half effort, and for not coming out with fire in their eyes from the first whistle. But Bradley must take the blame. Many were calling for his ouster at the Confederations Cup until the U.S. did a surprising 180 and went on their improbable trip to the final. Bradley's job was saved, and he may well have gotten another get-out-of-jail-free card Thursday. A loss would have been devastating, and the cries surely would be going out for Bradley to get the sack. Well, no matter what happens from here on out, it's time for Bob to go after this tournament.

The Americans have progressed to the point where they are the top dog in our admittedly rather lightweight region. The next step is to take it up a notch, and try to challenge the best from Europe and South America. We should expect more than what we got today. The USMNT were nearly embarrassed by Slovenia (a useful side, but nothing close to Europe's best) with the whole world watching. If the U.S. is are to be a serious footballing nation, then the coaching job should be a hot seat. You either produce the goods or you're gone. It's not good enough to spin their wheels; the Americans have to move forward. It's clear that for that to happen, the USMNT needs new leadership in the form of a top-class manager with an international pedigree. Would that guarantee success at the international level? Hardly. But the time has come to give it a shot.

Today at halftime, maybe Bob shoved some verbal vuvuzelas up his team's behinds. If so, great. But a match takes place over 90 minutes, and if we saw the commitment over the whole of the match that we got in the second 45, we'd all be celebrating a comfortable win with our place in the knockout stage all but assured. Instead, we were denied three points in part by some shambolic refereeing. But that shockingly bad decision likely would not have been as costly had the Americans shown up to play from the opening kick-off. Let's hope the Stars and Stripes can get after it from the very start in the Algeria match and then take it from there. Either way, let it please be Bob's last stand.

Click here for Mike's bio and an archive of his previous stories.

World Cup 2010: An Open Letter To Alberto Undiano

(Group F specialist Mike Marshall writes an open letter to Alberto Undiano, referee during Serbia's 1-0 stunner over a 10-man German side Thursday.)

By MIKE MARSHALL
One Great Season

Dear Mr. Undiano:

As a neutral, I was most interested to see how Serbia would undertake a game with a German side that had scored four goals in their first-round shellacking of Australia on Sunday.

Instead, I found myself riveted to the match by your play, er performance. It was truly breathtaking how you took over the game with exquisite control, strict (insane) interpretations of game law and leaving common sense well behind -- inspiring in the least. Yellow and red cards, presented so artfully, gave us all the only focus we could manage, not the players and how they might combine to produce some great play. You sir, were the star.

In closing, if you could be so kind as to avoid any further games in your professional capacity, we would be most appreciative.

Best Regards,

Fans of the great game

Click here for Mike's bio and an archive of his previous stories.

World Cup 2010: Group B Recap

By JEREMY BROWN
One Great Season

Finally, it happened. After days of waiting, of bloodshot eyes and bollixed sleep, of unmet expectations and rationalizations to nonbelievers, of enduring untold hours of something we might grudgingly call boredom, it finally came to pass. It took a whole week, but there was no rest on this seventh day. At long last, thanks to Thursday's scintillating Group B matches, the World Cup has begun.

The slow start has inspired and, as much as it pains me to admit, partially vindicated the usual batch of glib, anti-soccer myopia from the tired old guard of sportswriters concerned with little more than a quick swipe at something they've never bothered to familiarize themselves with. But we know better, and today was our reward. Argentina's 4-1 shellacking of a game South Korea and Greece's engrossing one-goal triumph over Murphy's Law victims Nigeria injected some life, some balls and some reverence for the art of attack into a tournament largely characterized by negative tactics, packed defenses, misfiring superstars, candy-assed you-call-yourself-a-fucking-man-? divers, limp-wristed goalkeepers, errant passing, hopeless shots destined for Row Z, and the mystifying starting berth of the biggest boondoggler in sports today, Sergio Busquets.

Oh sure, we've had our moments:

+ USA v England was fun for a chuckle but the haplessness of it all was a general affront to the game
+ Are North Korea lucky or plucky?
+ And couldn't one ask the same of Brazil?
+ It's always amusing watching someone get beat up, though enough becomes enough after awhile as we learned from Germany
+ Switzerland's bland win was less an upset than upsetting to sit through
+ And then there's the stuff I don't really remember, or perhaps repressed ...

Unless I was hallucinating, ESPN on Wednesday ran a "close calls" highlight ticker along the bottom of the screen following Spain's loss, with announcements going something like: "David Villa's 37th minute shot flies just over crossbar." If that's not a commentary for a dull tournament, I don't know what is.

But thanks to Thursday, the tide has changed, beginning with a Gonzalo Higuain hat trick and ending with a stout-hearted yet slipshod Nigerian effort in the face of dissolution.

Argentina v South Korea

Lionel Messi, the only superstar yet to exhibit anything resembling superstardom, had a hand in all four Argentina goals, leading a swarming crew of attackers that one could very well mistake as the cause for all that buzzing you hear, if we didn't already know the lame, lame truth. Higuain proved the main beneficiary, adroitly placing himself amid a tattered and exasperated South Korean defense to earn a trio of poacher's goals, including the easiest put-away in the history of soccer. Maxi Rodriguez started in place of the injured Juan Sebastian Veron, whose controlled, elegant passing game may, one can't help but wonder, actually handcuff Argentina's natural rampaging tendencies.

The Tigers of Asia should be applauded for their unwillingness to sit back, though a lack of precision in the final third proved their undoing, exemplified by a potentially game-tying second-half miss that I'm confident Yeom Ki-hun will be ruing on his deathbed. Indeed, the South Koreans’ man of the match was Martin Demichelis, who should seriously consider a career in shampoo commercials. Thankfully, Messi and company eventually disabused Bayern's bungling backliner, likely keeping him off suicide watch for the second time. Addressing the injury to center defender Walter Samuel will be top priority for Maradona.

Nigeria v Greece

Now this was a great match. A "monumentous day" for Greece as ESPN's Mike Tirico would have it. Nigeria took an early lead through a well-taken free kick from Kalu Uche. It was one of those dreaded damned if you do, damned if you don't shot/cross hybrids from the corner of the box, where the keeper is loathe to come off his line because it's a bit too far out, but can't really stay on his line because it'll just bounce into the far corner. Welp, in this case it was the latter, and the Nigerians were riding high until the 34th minute, when Sani Keita got himself sent off. After a pissy little sideline tussle, Keita aimed a half-hearted Rockette kick at fullback Vassilis Torosidis, who produced this year's Rivaldo moment, crumpling into a ball like he just got kicked in the nuts by Fedor Emelianenko. It was nothing, but as a player you have to know that these officious, card-carrying little guys with whistles will look for any excuse to make the game about them. And so it went.

Smelling blood, Greece coach Otto Rehhagel swapped defensive midfielder Socratis Papastathopoulos for Celtic forward and Jesus impersonator Georgios Samaras in search of a miracle: the first ever Greek goal in a World Cup. And Hallelujah, a few minutes later, Dimitris Salpingidis, who doesn’t look much at all like Jesus, put a deflected shot past a blameless Victor Enyeama.

This was not Nigeria’s day. Ten minutes into the second half, left back Taye Taiwo was forced off with an injury. Twenty minutes later, his replacement, Uwa Echiejile, also made the long slow limp to the sideline. And at some point in between, Enyeama ruins his burgeoning reputation by spilling a fairly routine 25-yard shot right into the path of Torosidis, who somehow recovered from that crushing blow he suffered earlier to put his country up 2-1. Despite playing a man down for most of the match, Nigeria, while naturally cautious, never passed up an opportunity to advance up the pitch in numbers. With Greece pushing hard, it made for damn entertaining stuff. But in the end, injuries, foolish ejections and goalkeeping blunders conspired to relegate the Africans to dead last in Group B, with no points, one goal and little hope.

Click here for Jeremy's bio and an archive of his previous stories.

Advertising Giants Won't Drink To Empty Cup

Ambush Marketing
Keeps Nike, Bavaria
In The Spotlight

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

After a week of World Cup games, you probably think Nike is among the event's largest sponsors.

Considering many of the players are rocking boots from the Oregon-based apparel giant, and that not-so-subtle "Write The Future" television ad or a variation of it replays almost every commercial break, you'd think the Swoosh and FIFA enjoyed a formal and mutually beneficial partnership.

But despite its slightly inferior advertising presence, Adidas is actually the official equipment sponsor of the Cup. What practically amounts to ambush marketing has allowed Nike to reach the many millions of global Cup viewers without any trouble.

It's not the first time Nike has been accused of the ambush technique. At the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, the Swoosh erected Nike billboards and even built a Nike village next to the athletes' official village, diluting Reebok's presence as the Games' official equipment partner.

Sponsorship of major sporting events is obviously big business, with seven- and sometimes eight-figure deals requiring protection in almost the same way heads of state attending this Cup need personal security.

Which is why Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of World Cup 2010, enjoyed watching event organizers Tuesday round up 36 young women sporting orange mini-dresses in a promotion for Dutch brewery Bavaria. Outside of the obvious reasons for enjoying watching 36 young women in orange mini-dresses, Budweiser liked this stunt even more because the hotties and their superiors behind the move were accused of "unlawful commercial activities" after they were kicked out of the Netherlands-Denmark game on Tuesday, according to the BBC.

Like Nike, Bavaria has prior experience with ambush marketing on the global stage. Click here to read about its 2006 World Cup strategy.

World Cup 2010: Group A Notes

By WADE MURRAY
One Great Season

South Africa's beloved Bafana Bafana went into Wednesday's match against Uruguay on fairly high spirits after last week's 1-1 draw with Mexico that was pretty much a win for them. Uruguay, on the other hand, had to have beeen asking a lot of questions after their scoreless draw with France. It was a match that neither side did much to impress. All of Africa, and many neutrals outside, would be on Bafana's side, but as everyone saw Wednesday, Uruguay more than made up for their shortcomings in their first match with a thorough 3-0 thrashing.

WHAT WAS AT STAKE
Group A was all even after the first round of matches, with the four sides stuck on 1 point each, but Mexico and South Africa had the slimmest of advantages by way of having scored a goal in their openers. The Bafana boys play France last (which now is RSA's most important game ever) and didn't want to leave themselves desparately needing a win in that one. Uruguay needed to show that they are more than a team with two brilliant strikers. I know this gets tiring to hear before every single match, but this one was really important not to lose.

WHAT HAPPENED
Going into this tournament, I would have picked Uruguay to give South Africa a difficult time, and they did ... and then some. The spirited first match by the RSA seemed a distant memory Wednesday. The South African midfield looked far better than Uruguay's in the teams' first matches, but the Uruguayans simply had too much class.

THE RESULT
A 3-0 drubbing of the RSA that showed the return of Uruguyan scoring machine Diego Forlan. Uruguay was my darkhorse to win this group and they showed why on Wednesday. RSA was simply not able to handle the attacking style and midfield of their opponent. Uruguay, not normally known for their defense, did at least what they needed to in the defensive third. The only hope that RSA had was in counter attacking and strong goal keeping, but Bafana Bafana failed on both counts.

In the end, neither speed nor national pride could save South Africa. Look out for Uruguay, a team poised to do more than win the group. And as for RSA, well, let's hope they show up for the their final match and sneak a win to perhaps qualify for the next round. Nothing would please me more than to see France sent home early.

FRANCE VS. MEXICO PREVIEW

ABOUT FRANCE
France's main problem in their most recent matches has been an inability to score goals. They have been very good at getting into positive positions but that's about it. Could it be that the Jabulani is giving them trouble? No, I don't think so.

The true problem lies within their lack of chemistry and ability to use each other. The famous and now infamous (from the 2006 headbutt heard 'round the world) Zinedine Zidane was more than critical of his country's team, stating that "there was a lack of teamwork and it was more a case of individual efforts," and I think that continues to be the case. Personally, I expect much of the same from the Frenchmen and possibly a group-stage exit, as Mexico will give them problems.

ABOUT MEXICO
Mexico showed in their opening match against South Africa that they have fielded their most talented squad in years. Though their first game ended in a draw, they were clearly the superior squad and that should serve as a confidence booster heading into the France game. Giovani Dos Santos was, as I expected, awesome all match long against the RSA, creating chance after chance. Expect Mexico to change very little Thursday besides the amount of goals put on the scoreboard.

Both sides might feel they have something to prove after opening-round draws last week, but it's a hungrier Mexico team that seems more likely to get it done.

MY PREDICTION
Despite Mexico's inability to put the ball in the net against the RSA lads, they impressed me. They not only created several scoring opportunities, but played some beautiful football with a togetherness reminiscent of Spain and Barcelona. Meanwhile, France seems to be in nothing but shambles and lost chances that leave themselves and their fans wanting. There are reports of disputes with the manager as well as sharp criticism from the media. France will need to score, preferably early, to build confidence against a dangerous opponent. I don't think they will.

Look for Mexico to put the French out of second-round contention. Mexico wins, 2-1, setting up a very interesting, winner-take-all final against Uruguay next week.

Click here for Wade's bio and an archive of his previous stories.

Cupset! Swiss Find Holes In Spain's Invincibility

In-Flight Satellite
Shows Switzerland's
Shocker Over Spain

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

HIGH ABOVE AMERICA -- Thanks to the miracle of in-flight satellite television, I was able to watch live Wednesday as Switzerland pulled off easily the biggest upset of the World Cup's first round of group matches.

(The green screens you see on the seatbacks pictured above are evidence that plenty of passengers were watching the Cup when not dozing off.)

---

RECENT WORLD CUP GOODNESS

+ VUVUZELA WATCH: Is The Beautiful Game Now The Most Annoying Game?
+ HUMOR: Spanning The World ... Cup ... For Great Headlines
+ NOTEBOOK: More France Hate, Nike-v-Adidas & The Name Game
+ WORLD CUP PUB CRAWL: Where To Drink & Watch In 35 Cities
+ TIMELINE: Diego Maradona's Long, Strange Trip
+ PREDICTIONS: OGS World Cup Experts Make Their Picks
+ KIT HAPPENS: The Best, Worst World Cup Uniforms

---

After drifting in and out of sleep in seat 22A for the first couple hours of my flight to San Francisco -- and missing almost all of Chile's 1-0 domination of Honduras -- I was fully awake for only the final 15 or 20 minutes of Wednesday's second match between Switzerland and Cup co-favorite Spain. But what a stretch it was for the Swiss, who held off one Spanish attack after another to preserve the 1-0 shocker.

(Billie Jean King was on my flight. That's her to the right.)

"(Switzerland) defended incredibly," ESPN Cup analyst Alexi Lalas would say after the game. "The tournament needed something like this."

Though the Swiss did indeed play some stellar defense, it was impressive how they weren't afraid to attack some on offense in the closing stages as well. I'm no soccer expert, but to me it hardly looked like a conservative late effort by the winners, as some upset-minded teams are content to put forth. Switzerland kept its foot on the gas until the final whistle was blown after more than five minutes of stoppage time. In both the 82nd and 83rd minutes, the Swiss almost converted separate chances to really salt the game away, but recovered well to thwart the late counters by the Spaniards.

One who is an expert is OGS Group H specialist Jake Yadrich, who, like everybody, expected an easy Spanish victory, but added that if Switzerland had any chance, it would have to be because of coaching. And for the short period I watched, the Swiss looked very disciplined and overall well-managed.

Is The Beautiful Game The Loudest Game?

Vuvuzelas Becoming
As Annoying As A
Cristiano Ronaldo Dive

By BRUCE SHOLL
One Great Season

The biggest hubbub coming out of South Africa, oddly enough, isn't a controversial call or a dive by Cristiano Ronaldo. It's the annoying din from the vuvuzelas. Whether you know the name of the yard-long plastic trumpet or not, you've certainly become familiar with the endless droning torture that is the vuvuzela. The closest I get to describing the feeling is trying to fall asleep with a mosquito buzzing above your face; you know it's there but you're helpless to do anything about it.

South Africa claims ownership to the instrument and its fans have been known for using them for many years. Rather than chanting or cheering and igniting the rest of the crowd, and perhaps inspiring their squad, fans intead blow horns directly into one another's ears.

Let me understand this correctly. You're paying good money to attend these World Cup games that showcase the best players football players on the planet, but you spend the entirety of the matches blowing a horn? Does that not that get boring? For the only time in my life, I am decidedly not jealous of those attending the World Cup in person.

The vuvuzela produces a sustained b-flat note, which in my mind correlates to the intro note of the Guns N' Roses timeless classic "Welcome To The Jungle." I imagine Slash, or 50,000 Slashes, producing this note throughout a game without ever moving on to his terrifically descending guitar riff that kicks off the song before Axl Rose rejoins with his unmistakable banshee cry. This intro note is at the back of my head when I’m watching a game or discussing a bad call, a pansy fall, a fantastic save, another beer. It never goes away. By halftime, I have to run to the nearest computer and play the song just to get that resolution. It's like listening to a minor-key Bach prelude without the resolution chord at the end; it will leave you feeling unbalanced and somehow less whole as a person.

Which leads to the bigger question involving this exasperating noise-maker. What does it mean? What does an endless buzzing create except a difficult disruption? As the host country, shouldn’t the locals want their favorite players to benefit from the noise of their fans, not have it drowned out? The vuvuzela produces a sound at about 127 decibels, right about the same level of two screaming fans seated right next to you (close to 130.) To put this in perspective, a chainsaw at arm’s length is about 115 decibels. The argument that fans are just as loud doesn’t hold true for the simple fact that your vocal chords will not hold up under sustained screaming for nearly two hours. The crowd swells and cheers, then quiets. It brings anxiety with the anticipation; you get caught up in the emotion of the game, a communal 90-minute esprit de corps.

There is now a larger discussion about banning the vuvuzelas, with even Ronaldo chiming in, but FIFA has repeated that it will not silence them. My greatest fear is that they will not only stick around for the rest of the World Cup, but beyond it. Are you ready to listen to these for every Premiere League match you watch? Every La Liga, every Bundesliga and Serie A game? For the rest of your life? If you think I'm joking, they are selling two of these every second right now. Noodle that for a moment: every friggin second. And they are ridiculously cheap, going for around $2.50, or £2.10. The vuvuzela will drown out every chant, every fight song that has survived through the decades. Such traditions will be devoured, and like a great cloud of locusts, the vuvuzelas cannot be stopped.

Let's hope the governing bodies listen to those of us who can no longer tolerate what could potentially be a ruinous practice for the sport of football, and return the beautiful game to what it rightly should be. That is, if they can hear us.

Click here for Bruce's bio and an archive of his previous stories.

World Cup 2010: Group H Match Previews

By JAKE YADRICH
One Great Season

Honduras vs Chile -- 7:30 AM ET

Honduras slid into the World Cup thanks to American Jonathan Bornstein's final-day-of-qualifying goal versus Costa Rica, and Chile avoided being booted from the Cup after a domestic-league relegation lawsuit led to FIFA's involvement. So it's pretty safe to say that both teams are glad to be in South Africa, no matter how they got there.

Why Honduras will win:

Los Catrachos probably know that no one expects them to do any damage in South Africa, and in sports, a team with nothing to lose often proves to be dangerous. Uber-talented midfielder Wilson Palacios launches the Honduran attack, veteran striker Carlos Pavon doesn't age, and David Suazo has proven dangerous at all levels. If goal-scoring opportunities are available, you can bet one of these three will deliver.

Why Chile will win:

Whenever your coach is nicknamed "El Loco," you know you've got a shot, but awesome nicknames aside, Chile is a talented squad. La Roja constantly send players forward, and the combination of Humberto Suazo and Mark Gonzalez can frustrate any defense in the world. The attack-heavy mindset produced 32 goals in qualifying, so it goes without saying that they can find the back of the net.

Player to Watch:

Chile may be the favorite to come away with three points, but Honduras' Palacios may prove to be the pivotal man of the match. Tottenham Hotspur's player of the year will be asked to make great contributions on both offense and defense, and with Chile's attacking style, a Honduran counter-attack led by Palacios could lead to rare scoring opportunities. Much like the 2006 World Cup did for Cristiano Ronaldo, the 2010 World Cup may put Palacios on a lot of teams' radars.

Prediction:

Honduras will be playing in their first World Cup match since 1982, and I think that will be the highlight for Los Catrachos. Honduras' weakness lies in its back four, and Chile's talent on the attacking side should get plenty of chances. La Roja's constant pressure will keep the ball in the Honduran half limiting the chances of a counterattack, and the youth of Chile will prove too much for the older Honduran squad. Chile 2, Honduras 0

Spain vs Switzerland -- 10:00 AM ET

Switzerland exited the 2006 World Cup as the only team not to have conceded a goal, but I don't see that lasting 30 minutes in their 2010 opener. The Swiss will bring one of the youngest sideas to South Africa, but the team will be forced to grow up quickly against the Spanish squad. As far as Spain goes, they are indeed the most talented team in the field, but can they finally deliver on the biggest stage?

Why Spain will win:

Iniesta, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, and Silva ... do I really need to say more? A midfield with that much talent provides the ultimate in maintaining possession, not to mention all four have the scoring capabilities of other countries' top strikers. When you add a scoring tandem like David Villa and Fernando Torres, there are no questions as to whether Spain will score. The question becomes how often. Oh, I forgot, goalkeeper Iker Casillas is absolutely ridiculous as well.

Why the Swiss will win:

Coaching may not have the biggest influence on soccer teams, but if you're coach has taken two teams to Champions League titles, you listen. Switzerland's greatest asset may be Coach Ottmar Hitzfield. The Swiss will be organized and patient in their possession and attack, and against a dangerous Spanish side, picking the right time to advance could be the only way the Swiss pull off a victory. Alexander Frei averages more than a goal per game in 73 appearances; I think it's safe to say he has a knack for scoring.

Player to Watch:

I know it's hard to select just one player to watch considering Spain's roster, but I will be watching Torres. El Nino may be one of the best strikers in the game, but he's also coming off knee surgery in April. He made his return in a recent 6-0 whipping of Poland, but come on, it was Poland. From a defensive standpoint, keying on Torres and David Villa simultaneously must be hell, but if Torres isn't 100 percent, Switzerland's defensive strategy becomes a little easier.

Prediction:

I don't even know why you would bother reading this portion, but in case you are: Yes, I am going with Spain. Although the Spaniards are nursing some bumps and bruises, making quick work of Switzerland will allow Vicente del Bosque to remove starters and give them some extra rest. Look for Spain to come out the gates firing on all cylinders and put Switzerland away early. Spain 4 - Switzerland 0

Click here for Jake's bio and an archive of his previous stories.

Spanning The World ... Cup ... For Great Headlines

By STEVE SUSI
One Great Season

So as you know the One Great Season research department spends countless hours scouring the Internet to find the most important World Cup information for you.

Here are a few of the better headlines we've spied over the last few days:

+ Brazilian in Bikini Top Featured in Slow-Mo TV Network Cutaway

+ One England Fan Not Insufferable, Arrogant Prick

+ Elephant Paparazzi: We Thought US National Team Bus Was Kirstie Alley

+ Connecticut Couple Surprised by South Africa's Natural Beauty, Black Population

+ Jabulani Ball Linked to Gary Coleman's Death

+ No One Knows If South Korean Players Wore Own Jerseys

+ Rhythm Nation Extends Scoreless Streak

+ African Whoopee Cushion Sales Plummet

+ Maradona "Extremely Disappointed" Sidelines Not Made of Blow

+ ESPN Field Mic Operator Won't Stop Messing with Bee Hive

+ England Keeper Blames Gaffe on New Ball, Prosthetic Arms

+ Billions Around World Scratch Groin Every Time Slovenian Fullback Jokič Mentioned

We'll keep looking for more interesting content, but if you find a gem, feel free to share it with us in the Comments section.

Click here for Steve's bio and a link to his previous stories.

World Cup 2010: ESPN Releases Viewer Ratings

USA-England Match
Most Watched USMNT
Game Since 1994

By MIKE MUDD
One Great Season

ESPN released some weekend World Cup ratings details Monday night. Here are a few key takeaways:

+ ABC's telecast of the United States-England match was the most-watched World Cup first-round match among households and viewers, and the most-viewed U.S. Men’s National Team game since 1994. U.S.-England enjoyed a 7.3 rating. The two-hour match window (2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET) averaged a 7.3 household rating, 8.4 million households, and almost 13 million viewers.

+ Through eight weekend matches, ESPN and ABC averaged 3 million households and 4.25 million viewers – up 75 percent and 80 percent, respectively, from the first eight games of the 2006 World Cup (1.7 million and 2.4 million viewers).

+ The most-watched game from Sunday was ABC's Germany-Australia debacle – a 2.8 household rating, 3.3 million households, and 4.7 million viewers, while Serbia-Ghana delivered a 2.3 household coverage rating with 2.2 million households and 3 million viewers earlier in the day on ESPN.

Below are the top five most-viewed FIFA World Cup telecasts (1994-present):

1. U.S.-China, Women's World Cup Final (ABC, 7/10/99) – 18 million viewers (11.4 rating)
2. Brazil-Italy, World Cup Final (ABC, 7/17/94) – 14.5 (9.5 rating)
3. Brazil-U.S., World Cup Round of 16 (ABC, 7/4/94) – 13.7 (9.3 rating)
4. Italy-France, World Cup Final (ABC, 7/9/06) – 12.0 (7.0 rating)
5. U.S.-England, World Cup First Round (ABC, 6/12/10) – 10.8 (6.1 rating)

Click here for Mike's bio and an archive of his previous stories.

World Cup 2010: Group C Notes

By MIKE MUDD
One Great Season

Some nuggets to chew on from the opening games in Group C, and looking ahead to the second round:

+ I gotta be honest, the last time I saw a goalkeeper botch a save like the one England's Robert Green did against the United States was probably when I was playing under-12 ball. I was racking my brain all weekend trying to remember when I saw that kind of slip-by from a top-level goalkeeper. And I just couldn't think of one, personally. It was an unbelievable error on the world stage. In the World Cup, that could be a once-in-a-lifetime blunder.

+ That said, props to England defender Jamie Carragher, who said Monday he thinks Green should remain in goal for Friday's match against Algeria. "Every player in the squad has been there where we've made a big mistake in a big game. But the reason that you are playing for England and you get to this level is that you have a certain amount of mental strength," Carragher said. This type of public talk from his teammates could be just the tonic Green needs to go on and have a great rest of the tournament.

+ The Americans' goal to earn a tie overshadowed the real storyline: The U.S. showed many weaknesses: They were mostly disorganized in midfield; sat way too far back in defense, allowing England to jam the ball down their throats, and were completely gased by the end of the game, hardly able to put any kind of passes or offense together in the final minutes. Bottom line: The U.S. did not look like a second-round team. I know the general feeling in the media and with the team was that they deserved the tie, but I just didn't see it.

+ Slovenia's win over Algeria now puts extra pressure on the U.S. The Slovenians not only have those cool Charlie Brown-zigzag striped looking jerseys, but also are a more confident and potent team than people gave them credit for. They like to counter-attack and have a great goalkeeper in Samir Handanovic. The U.S. will need to play better than it did Saturday to win. A loss would pretty much end hopes of advancement.

+ Tim Howard's sparkling performance in goal against England was the finest I had seen from a U.S. goalie since Sylvester Stallone's "Hutch" character saved about 200 shots against the Nazi guard team in the 1983 movie "Victory." And who has ever seen a finer save on a penalty kick than the one Hutch made at the end of the game? Yo Adrian, I did it!

+ Speaking of Howard, don't let any of this talk about bruised ribs fool you into thinking he won't play against Slovenia this week. The guy is a beast and by far the most talented and internationally-respected player on the U.S. squad. He's playing, and this game is too big for him to consider otherwise.

+ Quiz time: Raise your drink if you can name the U.S.'s backup goalies. Can't do it? That's OK, take a drink anyway. Howard's backups are Wolverhampton's Marcus Hahnemann and Aston Villa's No. 2 keeper Brad Guzan.

+ England will get a boost against Algeria. Midfielder Gareth Barry (Manchester City) has declared himself ready to play after recovering from an ankle injury. The English could use some better playmaking in the midfield to help start Wayne Rooney. I thought England looked strong in the opener, especially considering the lads traditionally have slow starts. Take away the mammoth goalkeeping error, and they look like a team which should go on to beat Algeria and move on.

+ The Slovenia-U.S. game will pit the largest country in the Cup against the smallest. Slovenia has about 2 million people, while the mighty U.S. boasts 300 million. This is the first meeting between the two countries in soccer.

+ Algeria captain Anther Yahia said Monday his squad will be more aggressive in its next game against England. I think the English defense will be more than up to the task, and I look for any bold play from the Algerians to lead to many English counter-attacks and goals. I look for a 3-0, 4-0 type of England victory.

+ Finally, check out this creative piece of multimedia from the Guardian newspaper in England. It's an animated, fussball recreation of the USA-England match. Enjoy!

Click here for Mike's bio and an archive of his previous stories.

World Cup 2010: Group G Match Previews

By BEN JACKEY
One Great Season

Results from the first day of play in the Group of Death will depend largely on who shows up ... literally and figuratively. A decision is supposed to be made on Didier Drogba two hours before Ivory Coast’s match with Portugal.

Will he show up? Will Cristiano Ronaldo finally show up at a World Cup? Will a unified or a divided Brazil squad show up?

So far, for me, group play has been a bit of a snoozer, but you can expect that to change with Group G.

Ivory Coast v. Portugal

This may be the most crucial match to decide the second spot in the elimination round. Both of these teams are full of talent, but injuries could hamper each. Here are a few keys for both squads:

Ivory Coast

+ Drogba will make or break this team, which already has troubles scoring with him in the lineup. With him, it's a draw. Without him, it's three points for Portugal.

+ The Toure brothers must be big. I Included this bullet point simply so I can say "Yaya." Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue will provide a formidable test for Ronaldo. It's incumbent upon YaYa Toure and his fellow midfielders to create chances for Salomon Kalou.

Portugal

+ Ronaldo must show up for his country. He is the anti-Miroslav Klose (who is pants for his club, but a world-beater on the international stage for Germany). The loss of Nani on the wing puts even more pressure on Ronaldo's well-chiseled shoulders.

+ This team is loaded in the midfield and should be able to exploit the Elephants' weaknesses at that part of the pitch.

Prediction: Portugal 1-0

Guarantee: You will not see more diving in any other match

Brazil v. North Korea

This has the potential to be as close as the USA v. Angola basketball game in 1996. Yet, it is so intriguing because there are many unknowns. This game should tell us a lot about where Brazil's mindset is.

Brazil

+ Reports of infighting are nearly synonymous with Brazil and the World Cup. So are the denials. However, one was allegedly caught on tape involving Dani Alves and Julio Baptista. Can all these egos mesh into one cohesive unit?

+ A lot has been made by writers (including myself) of this a-typical Brazilian unit. This is not Joga Bonito. This is more of a defensive-minded squad that progresses directly upfield with less flair than in years past. However, if there was ever a team Brazil could toy with ... North Korea could be it.

North Korea

+ Korea DPR's strength is its defense. I'm sure they'll start with some 4-4-2 formation, but don’t kid yourselves. Ten of those players will duck inside the 25-yard mark. I'm sure they will frustrate the Brazilians for a while ...

+ ... but how long will that last? That's the key. The longer North Korea can annoy Brazil, the more potential there is for one of those self-destructing moments (own goal, red card, etc.). If Korea can hold its ground, this could make for an entertaining match. If it doesn't, this will make for an entertaining mismatch.

Prediction: Brazil 3-0

Guarantee: Several of my friends will receive multiple texts that will mostly likely begin with "Did you see that Brazilian girl?"

Click here for Ben's bio and an archive of his previous stories.

World Cup 2010: Group E Recap

By MIKE DICK
One Great Season

In the first half of Monday's Group E opener, Denmark did exactly as they needed to do. They soaked up pressure early, then gradually came out of their shell on the counter attack. In spite of the overwhelming Dutch advantage in possession, the Danes created the best chances. Bendtner should have done better with his free header, either taking it to the opposite corner or heading to the back post to Enevoldsen. Stekelenburg also made a couple of good saves to keep it nil-nil. The Dutch had tons of ball, but lacked the cutting edge in the final third.

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All the Danish organization went out the window at the start of the second half. An incisive ball from inside the Dutch half to van Persie caused all kinds of problems. Keystone-cops defending by the Danes led to a panicked header by Busk Poulsen, which went into their own goal off of Agger's back. Advantage Netherlands, and they would not look back. Van der Vaart nearly scored one of the better goals of the tournament with a cheeky flick, but Sorensen did well to save it. Later, Sneijder unlocked the Danish defense with a killer through ball to the very dangerous-looking Elia. Sorensen got a finger to his shot to push it onto the post. But Kuyt, whose tireless work at both ends of the pitch was obvious throughout the match, was first to the ball in front of a napping Kjaer to push it across the line. Later, another great chance for the Dutch, but Busk was able to acrobatically hook it off the line with the ball going in.

All told, the Dutch deserved the three points, but they will be looking for a sharper effort going forward. One of the few matches thus far where we saw good goalkeeping at both ends.

Japan 1, Cameroon 0

Ugly first half of play. Shaky goalkeeping at each end. Cameroon were totally disjointed. Sloppy at the back, virtually no link play through midfield, little threat up front. The Japanese were barely better. But as the half neared its end, the Blue Samurai began to show a little bit. Matsui's fine cross, combined with slack defending, found an unmarked Honda at the back post. Honda had the time and space to pick his spot, and slotted home inside the near post.

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Within the first five minutes of the second half, the Indomitable Lions nearly equalized. Eto'o was in the corner with three Japanese defenders around him, but managed to power through them and pull it back for Choupo-Moting. He should have done better, as he pulled his first-time shot high and wide. Cameroon's passing perked up with the addition of Emana in the 63rd minute, but Japan was getting plenty of blue shirts back. The Lions then were resigned to a series of long balls and speculative efforts. None produced much until a thunderbolt by Mbia nearly earned a draw.

Needless to say, Cameroon are in big trouble and face a huge match against Denmark. Neither the Danes nor the Dutch will be quaking in their boots at taking on either of these two teams on the evidence from this match.

Click here for Mike's bio and an archive of his previous stories.

World Cup 2010: Group D Recap

By STEVE SUSI
One Great Season

Conveniently, this writer is playing in the Woody Hayes Celebrity Classic charity golf tournament today in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio (paired with Gordon Jump). So in combined honor of my preoccupation with the task at hand and being horribly, terribly wrong about Serbia's poise to win Group D, I'll offer this review via iPhone in short-form type:

+ Germany defies clichés to neuter Socceroos with flair and imagination (and protypically stout defense).

+ Stat of the day: Germany made more passes in one half than South Africa, Uruguay, USA, and Nigeria completed in their entire matches.

+ Australia's odd 4-6-0 formation does nothing to slow German juggernaut.

+ Dismissal in 56th minute "shatters" Australia's Cahill.

+ Klose scored his 11th World Cup goal,  tying him for fifth all-time in Cup history with Jurgen Klinsmann and Sandor Kocsis.

+ Squeaky clean: Ghana's seen just three cards in five World Cup matches.

+ Evenly matched Ghana and Serbia see first African victory emerge from Lukovic and Kuzmanovic blunders.

+ Essien-less Ghana can mathematically advance before even playing second match.

Click here for Steve's bio and an archive of his previous stories.