England is overrated!

Apparently the Spanish midfielder Xavi, one of the best players in the world, just claimed that England was their biggest competition for the World Cup. Seriously? Would you rather play Brazil over England?! I don't understand all the hype about England. Today they just squeaked by Japan in a friendly 2-1, and Japan scored both of England's goals! Right now England's odds to win it all are 6/1, only behind Brazil (5/1) and Spain (4/1), but I would be very surprised to see England in the semifinals. They are solid defensively, but they just don't seem to have the speed or explosiveness of Spain, Brazil, Argentina, or the Netherlands. Does USA stand a chance on June 12? Yes! On paper England is superior - perhaps only Landon Donovan and Tim Howard would be good enough to make a 23-man England squad (though I would take Donovan any day over Frank Lampard!) - but USA will be fired up for this game, and all the pressure is on England. I stand by my original prediction: USA 1, England 0!

I should note that after June 12th I will start wearing my England jersey again and direct my trash-talking elsewhere. After all, I was born in the UK, and England is my second favorite team, even though they are overrated.

US 23-man roster

Bradley just announced the US 23-man roster: http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/article?contentId=1944146

The only big surprise is that Brian Ching, a experienced and proven forward, was left off the roster while Edson Buddle and Robbie Findley made the team. For those of you who followed the US qualification, you're probably thinking "who the heck are Buddle and Findley?" These guys are fast, but they came out of nowhere and have almost zero experience with the national squad. We're now left with one proven forward - Jozy Altidore (I love Jozy, but there are probably 13 or so Argentine forwards who are better). I'm guessing he will play solo up front, with Donovan and Dempsey pushing forward during attacks. Altidore fatigues towards the end of games and is typically replaced. By who?? No Charlie Davies, no Ching, not even Conor Casey. I'm a little nervous about this. Also, Onyewu did not look strong against the Czechs last night - we need him to be in top form because the defense is looking a little shaky. Good to see Demarcus Beasley back on the squad!

World Cup 2010 - Wavin Flag

Go hard or go home?

The Champions League just ended, but preparations for the next one start soon after the end of the Copa. What do you think is more important to players: preserving their image by playing well during the World Cup, or going easy to avoid injury for their day jobs?

Upcoming International Friendlies

Thought this info was worth passing on to everyone. Don't make your picks before you have all the facts!

Monday, 24th May

20:45 (GMT) – Argentina V Canada

09:00 (GMT) – Australia V New Zealand

20:00 (GMT) – England V Mexico

11:20 (GMT) – Japan V South Korea

19:30 (GMT) – Portugal V Cape Verde

19:35 (GMT) – South Africa V Bulgaria

Tuesday, 25th May

11:00 (GMT) – Georgia V Cameroon

11:00 (GMT) – Nigeria V Saudi Arabia

19:00 (GMT) – Greece V North Korea

19:45 (GMT) – Republic of Ireland V Paraguay

Wednesday, 26th May

01:00 (GMT) – USA V Czech Republic

19:00 (GMT) – Netherlands V Mexico

20:00 (GMT) – France V Costa Rica

23:00 (GMT) – Uruguay V Israel

Thursday, 27th May

19:15 (GMT) – Denmark V Senegal

19:35 (GMT) – South Africa V Colombia

Monday will be an eventful day, as no less than nine countries featuring in next month’s FIFA World Cup are in action. Undoubtedly, the most attractive fixture on paper is the Mexican’s travelling to England to take on Capello’s Three Lions. The Aussies clash with the Kiwi’s is another interesting match-up between two nations only a decade ago were considered minnows of international football, while some would even argue that New Zealand are still branded as a small nation in terms of the sport. Those looking to do their homework ahead of the finals should perhaps take time out to watch the Japan – South Korea game, two Asian contingents aiming to surprise a fair few in South Africa.

On Tuesday North Korea take on the 2004 UEFA European Championship winners Greece in a game which, if everyone was completely honest, sees two nations with very little chance of lifting the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. However. The Greeks will feel they have every chance of progressing past the group stage, while North Korea’s main objective will be to not walk away from South Africa pointless. A little later and one of the South American dark horses, Paraguay, speed up their preparations with an away encounter with a Republic of Ireland team which will consider themselves rather unluckily not to have made the finals. Two African contingents hoping to be the first African team to win a World Cup will also be in action on Tuesday, as Nigeria take on Saudi Arabia from Asia, and Cameroon take on Georgia from Europe.

Wednesday’s games start with the USA V Czech Republic, as Bob Bradley’s USA host a Czech Republic side who honestly feel they should of made the finals but have their lacklustre qualifying campaign to thank for their misfortune. The US will take on England in their first World Cup encounter, so will want to boost their chances of progression from Group C by building some winning momentum with these friendlies. Late in the evening, Holland take on Mexico, as two teams heading to South Africa weigh each other up, getting a first-hand view of how one-another will fare in South Africa. France will take on CONCAFAF team Costa Rica, who narrowly missed the finals because of a late USA goal in qualifying, and South American’s Uruguay clash with Israel in the day’s final game.

And on Thursday, the Danes test their wits against the dangerous Senegal from Africa. Premier League followers can expect to see both Nicklas Bentner and Daniel Agger in action, while El Hadj Diouf may make an appearance for Senegal. Just a little later and the hosts, South Africa, take on South American’s Colombia. The pressure is well and truly on the hosts to perform on home soil, so a big performance against the Colombians would do the confidence within camp a world of good.

Love Letter the the World Cup

Dear World Cup,

What I love most about you is the instant friendships you spark among your enthusiasts. I was in Nairobi and Hong Kong last week (yeah -that's how I roll) where fever for you is in full swing. At my meeting in Nairobi, I had loads to talk about with colleagues from Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa who I had never met. We all stood around during tea breaks, grinning like idiots in anticipation of the first kick-off.

Now I'm back in Papua New Guinea where I'm sad to say your followers are frustratingly few. Not to worry - I'm moving to Haiti in a few weeks where I'm told people have their priorities straight.

I hope that this year your image will not be marred by outlandish calls by officials (..uhm...), violence (...), injuries of key players (...ahem..), or threats of power outages (...). This Cup is already historic as Africa's first and no doubt, Brasil's sixth victory.

xoxox

carla

Hey John:

Thanks for taking the time to create this blog. It's great. A few points to start the discussion:

1.You got lucky last time ending with a few points ahead of me. Not the case this time.
2. Unfortunately, England will crush USA.
3. Isn't it obvious that Argentina will win the World Cup this time?

Cheers,
Ali

World Cup 2010! Betting Pool Rules

June 11, 2010 - at last the World Cup is back! Once again, the betting pool is on. Group stage picks must be received by kickoff (June 11, 8:30 am Texas time). The entry fee is $10 - payable to me via cash, check (send to 4900 Lynnwood St., Austin, TX 78756), or PayPal (jssingleton@gmail.com). The winner will get 3/4 of the pot, the runner-up 1/4. The scoring system is the same as last time - 1 point for each correct pick in group stage play, 2 bonus points will be awarded for picking the correct group winner, and 1 bonus point will be awarded for picking the correct group runner-up (1 bonus point if you pick the correct teams to advance but in the wrong order). Stage 2 knockout round starts June 26 - 2 points for each correct pick in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, 3 points for correct semi-final picks, 4 points for picking the winner (and 2 for the 3rd place game). I am totally going to win this year!

Link to group-stage picks form (google doc): http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AquCrm4PHzthdEcwaFkyZGt5X1B1WnpmYkpoUG5zc0E&hl=en