World Cup 2010
Note 1: I will not be writing a piece on Coach Wooden. I couldn't do him justice. Please read his book if you're interested in knowing what Coach was all about. He was a great man and will truly be missed.
Note 2: I will not be writing about the NBA Finals until they are over. I'm afraid of jinxing the Lakers and I think you all could do without me writing things like "Farmar's going to have a big game" or "Glen Davis is still mad that he came in second place for the role of 'Warren' in There's Something About Mary."
I was discussing the World Cup with a friend the other day and realized that it is my favorite event in sports. It has the twists and turns of March Madness coupled with the fact that soccer is religion to everyone not from the U.S. It's like the Olympics on crack when it comes to national pride. I was at one of my favorite restaurants and wished a waiter who hails from Mexico good luck on this Mexico-RSA game I'm watching. He said "Mexico" and quietly pumped his fist. That was the first time in three years I've seen any emotion out of the guy.
The enduring mood I've seen from most of my friends is that they don't care about the World Cup. Most will not watch any games that don't feature the U.S. and most don't really care either way about who wins. But something happens every time the United States is prominently involved in an event of this magnitude. I guarantee you that if the U.S. makes a run in this World Cup that every sports bar will be packed with people praying for a U.S. win and chanting "U.S.A." at every opportunity. National pride is a funny thing. It stays dormant but it's always there inside of people just waiting to be summoned. And the World Cup is just the thing to call it to arms.
Here is a quick guide for this year's World Cup.
Teams Always Rated Highly That Routinely Come Up Short
England and Argentina. Both teams are stacked this year with plenty of big name talent. Both teams have better than 5 to 1 odds to win the whole thing. But both teams have more pressure on them to win than you could ever imagine, largely due to failureds in recent World Cups. It's almost a guarantee that England will lose in penalty kicks and that Argentina will be ousted by a less talented European team.
Player To Watch
Speaking of Argentina, if they are to move on, it will be because of Lionel Messi. He does things with his left foot that are a marvel to watch. You hear talk about people who are faster with the ball than without it and there is nobody more deserving of that compliment than Messi. He has the ability to turn a game at any moment and will surely draw double teams if opposing teams know what's good for them. The trouble is, double teams are not enough to stop Messi and he's brilliant at making the right play. You'll be hard pressed to find a player with more of a nose for the back of the net.
Storyline That Will Start To Get Play
The altitude. Soccer is difficult enough at sea level for the most fit players in the world but it could prove to be a nightmare at a mile above. There is a reason boxers train at high altitudes to prepare for fights. They figure that if they can survive the rigors of the high altitudes then they'll be even more prepared for a fight back at normal heights. So think about what the reverse will do. Just remember this when you watch players looking suddenly gassed come the second or third games if they haven't trained properly.
U.S. Chances
I like the U.S. this year to make a run, but much of that is due to the great draw. The first game against England will not be easy and a loss is more than likely. But after that, the U.S. will be favored against Algeria and Slovenia. You just have to finish in the top two to advance to the knockout round. If the U.S. finishes second, it will likely draw Germany, which is a side playing without several star players due to injury. If the U.S. can pull the upset there, then it will be Argentina next and we all know that Argentina has a habit of coming up short. The U.S. has a world class goalie, a position not as important as in hockey, but I promise that the casual fan will know the name of Tim Howard by the end of the first game against England. The U.S. should have confidence after recent Gold Cup success and if Landon Donovan can be the leader we need, I see a quarterfinal appearance coming for a desperate American side.
Dark Horse
A lot of people are talking about African sides like The Ivory Coast and Nigeria, and while I think both have the ability to make some noise, I don't see deep runs coming out of either, even if Didier Drogba is healthy. Then there are less talked about European countries with star power like the Netherlands, featuring Van Persie and Robben, and France with Ribery and Hand Ball Henry (see France vs. Ireland in the qualifying). But I don't see the Orange Power of the Dutch or the finesse of the French making much noise after the opening rounds. Too many better sides out there. No, my dark horse hails from South America and it's Chile. Chile has as much firepower up front as almost any other side out there. Chile beat out Argentina to finish second in qualifying behind Brazil and it finished only one point behind Brazil at that. Led by the always dangerous Suazo up front, Chile has the talent to put pressure on any team out there. I think they get to the quarterfinals at worst. Please ignore anyone who says the Swiss will beat the Chileans out for second place in Spain's Group H.
The Pick
Brazil is the betting favorite right now and for good reason. You can't prepare for playing a side like Brazil with the magical way they play their one touch soccer. The "jinga" as my former coach called it gives Brazil an edge that no other team has. It's a beautiful thing to watch and on top of that, Brazil is even more talented than it was four and eight years ago. Kaka, Maicon, Robinho, etc. Ronaldinho, maybe the most recognizable name to the casual fan, wasn't even good enough to make this year's team. All that said, I think Brazil loses in the final to . . . Espana or Spain as we say. Spain can control the ball in the midfield better than any other team out there. They have a world class keeper in Iker Casillas, a defense anchored down by Puyol and Sergio Ramos, and two of the best scorers in the world in David Villa and Fernando Torres. But again, I think the difference is in the midfield. Iniesta and Xavi are like the Steve Nash and Jason Kidd of soccer. They lead to more goals through vision and touch than any other two players in the world and it will be the two of them who lead Spain to victory. Spain 3 - Brazil 1.
P.S. The Americans have been underdogs to the English before. They were outgunned, outmanned, and nobody gave them a chance. But the U.S. persevered and found a way to win. Let's hope tomorrow is 1776 all over again.
Note 2: I will not be writing about the NBA Finals until they are over. I'm afraid of jinxing the Lakers and I think you all could do without me writing things like "Farmar's going to have a big game" or "Glen Davis is still mad that he came in second place for the role of 'Warren' in There's Something About Mary."
I was discussing the World Cup with a friend the other day and realized that it is my favorite event in sports. It has the twists and turns of March Madness coupled with the fact that soccer is religion to everyone not from the U.S. It's like the Olympics on crack when it comes to national pride. I was at one of my favorite restaurants and wished a waiter who hails from Mexico good luck on this Mexico-RSA game I'm watching. He said "Mexico" and quietly pumped his fist. That was the first time in three years I've seen any emotion out of the guy.
The enduring mood I've seen from most of my friends is that they don't care about the World Cup. Most will not watch any games that don't feature the U.S. and most don't really care either way about who wins. But something happens every time the United States is prominently involved in an event of this magnitude. I guarantee you that if the U.S. makes a run in this World Cup that every sports bar will be packed with people praying for a U.S. win and chanting "U.S.A." at every opportunity. National pride is a funny thing. It stays dormant but it's always there inside of people just waiting to be summoned. And the World Cup is just the thing to call it to arms.
Here is a quick guide for this year's World Cup.
Teams Always Rated Highly That Routinely Come Up Short
England and Argentina. Both teams are stacked this year with plenty of big name talent. Both teams have better than 5 to 1 odds to win the whole thing. But both teams have more pressure on them to win than you could ever imagine, largely due to failureds in recent World Cups. It's almost a guarantee that England will lose in penalty kicks and that Argentina will be ousted by a less talented European team.
Player To Watch
Speaking of Argentina, if they are to move on, it will be because of Lionel Messi. He does things with his left foot that are a marvel to watch. You hear talk about people who are faster with the ball than without it and there is nobody more deserving of that compliment than Messi. He has the ability to turn a game at any moment and will surely draw double teams if opposing teams know what's good for them. The trouble is, double teams are not enough to stop Messi and he's brilliant at making the right play. You'll be hard pressed to find a player with more of a nose for the back of the net.
Storyline That Will Start To Get Play
The altitude. Soccer is difficult enough at sea level for the most fit players in the world but it could prove to be a nightmare at a mile above. There is a reason boxers train at high altitudes to prepare for fights. They figure that if they can survive the rigors of the high altitudes then they'll be even more prepared for a fight back at normal heights. So think about what the reverse will do. Just remember this when you watch players looking suddenly gassed come the second or third games if they haven't trained properly.
U.S. Chances
I like the U.S. this year to make a run, but much of that is due to the great draw. The first game against England will not be easy and a loss is more than likely. But after that, the U.S. will be favored against Algeria and Slovenia. You just have to finish in the top two to advance to the knockout round. If the U.S. finishes second, it will likely draw Germany, which is a side playing without several star players due to injury. If the U.S. can pull the upset there, then it will be Argentina next and we all know that Argentina has a habit of coming up short. The U.S. has a world class goalie, a position not as important as in hockey, but I promise that the casual fan will know the name of Tim Howard by the end of the first game against England. The U.S. should have confidence after recent Gold Cup success and if Landon Donovan can be the leader we need, I see a quarterfinal appearance coming for a desperate American side.
Dark Horse
A lot of people are talking about African sides like The Ivory Coast and Nigeria, and while I think both have the ability to make some noise, I don't see deep runs coming out of either, even if Didier Drogba is healthy. Then there are less talked about European countries with star power like the Netherlands, featuring Van Persie and Robben, and France with Ribery and Hand Ball Henry (see France vs. Ireland in the qualifying). But I don't see the Orange Power of the Dutch or the finesse of the French making much noise after the opening rounds. Too many better sides out there. No, my dark horse hails from South America and it's Chile. Chile has as much firepower up front as almost any other side out there. Chile beat out Argentina to finish second in qualifying behind Brazil and it finished only one point behind Brazil at that. Led by the always dangerous Suazo up front, Chile has the talent to put pressure on any team out there. I think they get to the quarterfinals at worst. Please ignore anyone who says the Swiss will beat the Chileans out for second place in Spain's Group H.
The Pick
Brazil is the betting favorite right now and for good reason. You can't prepare for playing a side like Brazil with the magical way they play their one touch soccer. The "jinga" as my former coach called it gives Brazil an edge that no other team has. It's a beautiful thing to watch and on top of that, Brazil is even more talented than it was four and eight years ago. Kaka, Maicon, Robinho, etc. Ronaldinho, maybe the most recognizable name to the casual fan, wasn't even good enough to make this year's team. All that said, I think Brazil loses in the final to . . . Espana or Spain as we say. Spain can control the ball in the midfield better than any other team out there. They have a world class keeper in Iker Casillas, a defense anchored down by Puyol and Sergio Ramos, and two of the best scorers in the world in David Villa and Fernando Torres. But again, I think the difference is in the midfield. Iniesta and Xavi are like the Steve Nash and Jason Kidd of soccer. They lead to more goals through vision and touch than any other two players in the world and it will be the two of them who lead Spain to victory. Spain 3 - Brazil 1.
P.S. The Americans have been underdogs to the English before. They were outgunned, outmanned, and nobody gave them a chance. But the U.S. persevered and found a way to win. Let's hope tomorrow is 1776 all over again.
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