7.04.10 3:46 pm by Brian
The Quarterfinal Round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa has come and gone, and only four nations remain in this worldwide tournament to crown the top team in soccer. The two days of the round were not without drama, including high-profile losses by Brazil and Argentina; two teams who many would’ve selected as potential World Cup champions going into the tournament. And, despite poor early showings from European nations like France, Italy, and England, three of the final four remaining teams represent that continent: the Netherlands, Germany and Spain.
Before I get to my predictions for the upcoming Semifinals matches, here’s a quick recap of the predictions I made for the Quarterfinal Round and what the actual results were. It was definitely not a good set of predictions for me this time around, just barely saving an even .500 % picking rate.
- Predicted: Brazil 3, Netherlands 1 – Actual Result: Netherlands 2, Brazil 1
- Predicted: Uruguay 2, Ghana 1 – Actual Result: Uruguay 1, Ghana 1 (Uruguay 4, Ghana 2 on Penalty Kicks)
- Predicted: Argentina 3, Germany 2 – Actual Result: Germany 4, Argentina 0
- Predicted: Spain 3, Paraguay 0 – Actual Result: Spain 1, Paraguay 0
World Cup Knockout Round of 16 Prediction Results: 6-2
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6.30.10 2:25 pm by Brian
Even though American interest in the World Cup has surely dropped nearly to nothing now that the United States has gone out of the tournament, anything worth doing is worth following through completely. While the U.S. team might not have made it as far as we all wished they could have, they certainly did the country proud with their effort and there is reason to be excited about the state of American soccer as they begin preparations for the 2014 World Cup.
In four days of play at the 2010 FIFA World Cup the Knockout Round of 16 has sent eight countries home and left eight countries still vying for the ultimate prize in international soccer competition. Now, for the first time since the tournament began on June 11th, South Africa will take a break from hosting soccer matches until the first Quarterfinal game on July 2nd. Before we move on to the stories and predictions for the Quarterfinal Round, here’s a quick recap of action in the Knockout Round, along with the predictions I made (for better and for worse):
- Predicted: Uruguay 2, South Korea 0 – Actual Result: Uruguay 2, South Korea 1
- Predicted: United States 2, Ghana 1 — Actual Result: Ghana 2, United States 1 (Extra Time)
- Predicted: Germany 2, England 1 — Actual Result: Germany 4, England 1
- Predicted: Argentina 3, Mexico 1 — Actual Result: Argentina 3, Mexico 1 (Exact score pick!)
- Predicted: Netherlands 2, Slovakia 0 — Actual Result: Netherlands 2, Slovakia 1
- Predicted: Brazil 3, Chile 0 — Actual Result: Brazil 3, Chile 0 (Exact score pick!)
- Predicted: Japan 3, Paraguay 2 — Actual Result: Paraguay 0, Japan 0 (Paraguay 5, Japan 3 on Penalty Kicks)
- Predicted: Spain 2, Portugal 1 — Actual Result: Spain 1, Portugal 0
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6.28.09 9:46 am by Matt
Last time I wrote, I brought NBA referees answers to their most Frequently Asked Questions. Now it’s time to bring my fellow Americans up to speed on soccer in time for Sunday’s improbable FIFA Confederations Cup Final between USA and Brazil.
Q: This is booooooooooring. When are they gonna score?
A: You’re watching soccer on the wrong channel. Watch it on the Spanish channel and tell me soccer isn’t exciting.
Q: Are soccer players magical? It only takes them 30 seconds to recover from catastrophic inuries.
A: Soccer players aren’t magical. Their doctors are.
Q: Is my TV broken? There’s some weird background noise coming out of my speakers.
A:That’s the sound of music! Don’t worry, foreign sports fans are much better singers than Americans. All we have to show for ourselves is that lame tomahawk chop song and the pre-game national anthem. (PS: Can someone tell me why it’s ok that there’s fire in the stands during that first video? That seems dangerous.)
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