U.S. Open Cup Round 3

The Richmond Kickers travel north on Interstate 95 to take on D.C. United in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup tonight at George Mason University. The fact that D.C. United plays in Major League Soccer (MLS), while Richmond is in the second division of the United Soccer League (USL-2), makes this a mismatch on paper, but the Kickers have a legitimate shot to pull off an upset. Since 1999, the teams have met regularly, with Richmond getting its fair share of wins, including a 2-1 victory over D.C. in the third round of the 2004 Open Cup. (Interesting stat: The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the Kickers hold a 4-3-2 lead in the series, while United's official website, DCunited.com, says D.C. has a 5-3 lead. D.C. or Richmond needs to clear up the reasons for the disparity before FIFA gets involved and manages to make it even more complicated).

The Kickers have experience knocking off other MLS teams in the Open Cup as well, as they defeated the L.A. Galaxy 1-0 in the third round of the competition in 2007. The Richmond squad should have a couple of other motivational factors going for them as well: if they advance further than any other USL-2 team in the tournament, the club gets a $10,000 bonus from the league (there are two other USL-2 teams left: Charleston and Harrisburg). So while a win tonight doesn't necessarily mean they get the cash, a loss probably means they'll miss out on the money. The players also know that this is a good opportunity to impress coaches from a MLS club and perhaps get a chance to step up to that level in the future, so they will certainly want to give their best effort. Several players have made the jump in the past, with midfielder Clyde Simms, a former Kicker, now a regular in the D.C. United starting line-up. D.C. United is struggling this year and is currently in last place in the MLS Eastern Conference, so they will be hungry to get a win and get some positive momentum as they head towards the middle of their season.

The match kicks off at 7:30pm at George Mason University's soccer complex in Fairfax, and tickets are $25 (cash only). The winner advances to the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of the Red Bull New York-Harrisburg match. Richmond-D.C. has the potential to be a good contest, which is just what soccer fans need as they try to cope with the absence of World Cup matches until the quarterfinals begin on Friday morning. Leave your thoughts and predictions in the comments section or email them to the newsroom at TalkFooty@gmail.com.

Goals and Instant Replay

After undergoing two days of intense criticism for a refereeing error that ruled out a legitimate goal that had crossed the line for England in their second-round match against Germany, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said that he would consider using technology to help referees decide if shots have crossed the goal line and should be ruled goals. Though this is long overdue, it must be done to ensure that future World Cup games aren't marred by missed goals that change the course of the match (TalkFooty would be an advocate of simply putting an extra referee next to each goal, watching the line to ensure that any shot that crosses is ruled a goal).

So with this in mind, why not implement a system similar to hockey and have a flashing red light go off when the ball crosses the line? That would make it clear to the referee, his assistants, the fourth official and everyone in the stands that a ball has crossed the goal line. And, instead of the horn that is used in hockey arenas to accompany the light, someone could just blow a giant vuvuzela to signify the goal. You're welcome, Sepp.

Sunil Gulati, the head of the U.S. Soccer Federation, said that Major League Soccer would be open to testing any new goal line technology that FIFA wants to use, and this is a good idea for several reasons. American fans are accustomed to having instant replay as a part of most manor league sports, so they would be used to any stoppages that go along with a video review during a game. It would also bring more worldwide attention to MLS, and if the technology is eventually implemented by FIFA, articles around the world would mention that it was originally tested in MLS.

The Agony of the Missed Penalty Kick

Paraguay defeated Japan in their second round match in the first penalty kick shootout of the 2010 World Cup by a count of 5-3. Japan's Yuichi Komano was the only player to miss for either team, and Oscar Cardozo converted the winning shot for Paraguay. Watching the shootout, and Komano's miss, brought up an interesting question: If you were the unfortunate player who misses a penalty kick in a shootout, what is the best way to miss? Have your shot saved by the goalkeeper, smack a shot off the post or crossbar, or miss the goal completely? Komano's shot hit the crossbar, and in perhaps one of the best-remembered misses in recent history, Italy's Roberto Baggio skied his shot high over the goal and missed completely in the 1994 World Cup Final in the Rose Bowl, giving the title to Brazil. I would go with hitting the post or crossbar; having the shot saved implies that it just wasn't a very good effort, regardless of how great the save might be, while missing the goal completely is probably even worse. It's a 12-yard shot, after all, and a professional player should be able to at least put the ball on target, even if the goalkeeper picks the right spot and makes the save. Hitting the post or woodwork and missing would still be bad, but who can get mad at you for missing the mark by a matter of inches? Plus, it's a lot more exciting than the other two ways to miss, and goalkeepers can't really celebrate because they didn't make a save, they just got lucky. So what do you think? What's the best way to miss a penalty kick?

A). Off the post or crossbar
B). Shot saved by the goalkeeper
C). Miss the goal completely
D). Other (hit a bird in mid-air, rejected by a blast of air from thousands of vuvuzelas blown simultaneously, have a shot clearly cross the line only to be missed by the referee and his assistant despite being clear to everyone else watching all over the world)

Leave a comment or email the World's Game newsroom at talkfooty@gmail.com.

Knockout Round Day 4

We are still in the second round, but there have already been some exciting match-ups set for the quarterfinals. Brazil takes on the Netherlands on Friday, while Germany faces Argentina on Saturday. Germany knocked off Argentina in a penalty kick shootout in the quarterfinals in 2006, while Brazil eliminated the Netherlands in both 1994 and 1998. In the meantime, there are still two matches left in the second round.

Paraguay vs. Japan
10:00am - ESPN
Loftus Versfeld Stadium - Pretoria, South Africa
Winner: Japan

Japan scored three quality goals and ran circles around Denmark in their last match. Paraguay is a better team than Denmark, but japan is a very confident team right now and their playmaker, Keisuke Honda, is in excellent form. Japan's two free-kick goals against Denmark show that they may have figured out the tricky Jabulani game ball, which is bad news for Paraguay's goalkeeper. South American teams have done extremely well so far at this World Cup so expect Paraguay to put up a tough battle in what should be a fairly even match.

Spain vs. Portugal
2:30pm - ESPN
Green Point Stadium - Cape Town, South Africa
Winner: Spain

Spain entered the tournament as one of the favorites, and after a loss in their opening match against Switzerland they have looked fairly strong. One concern is the form of striker Fernando Torres, who doesn't look like he has fully recovered from a knee injury suffered playing for his club, Liverpool. Spain's defense has also looked vulnerable at times, but their midfield, led by Iniesta and Xavi, combines extremely well with forward David Villa and the trio is capable of scoring at any time. Portugal's defense hasn't given up a goal yet (but Ivory Coast was clearly happy with a 0-0 draw in the first match, North Korea barely showed up for the second, and by the time they played Brazil in the last group match they both knew a tie would be good enough to advance) and Ronaldo and Simao Sabrosa are always dangerous.

Second Round - Day 3

Netherlands vs. Slovakia
10:00am - ESPN
Moses Mabhida Stadium - Durban, South Africa
Winner: Netherlands
Slovakia is riding high after knocking off defending champion Italy to get to the knockout round. The Netherlands picked up wins in all three of their group stage matches but have yet to play their best, and can look forward to the return of winger Arjen Robben.

Brazil vs. Chile
2:30pm - ESPN
Ellis Park - Johannesburg, South Africa
Winner: Brazil
Earlier in the tournament, Brazil coach Dunga referred to Portugal as "Brazil's B team," due to similarities in playing style, culture, language and the fact that Portugal isn't as good as Brazil. However, Chile has showed more Brazil-ness than Portugal and could give Brazil more trouble than Portugal did. However, Brazil has enough good players to form a B, C, and perhaps even D team that could still make a run in the World Cup and that will help them get the win.

Knockout Rounds Begin

The second round of the 2010 World Cup begins today, with Uruguay taking on South Korea in the early game and the U.S. facing Ghana in the afternoon match.

Uruguay vs. South Korea
10:00am - ESPN
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium - Port Elizabeth
Winner: Uruguay
Both teams have been good offensively, but while South Korea has scored 5 goals, they have also given up six. Give the edge to Uruguay because they combine a dangerous attack with a strong defense.

U.S. vs. Ghana
2:30pm - ABC
Royal Bafokeng Stadium - Rustenburg
No prediction. Lots of fingernails chewed during this one. I guess that is a prediction.

Day 15 Predictions - Afternoon Games

Going to keep these brief. Should be two good games. Enjoy.

Spain vs. Chile
2:30pm - ESPN, ESPN3.com
Winner: Spain

Switzerland vs. Honduras
2:30pm - ESPN 2, ESPN3.com
Winner: Switzerland

Day 15 Predictions - Early Games

Brazil vs. Portugal
10:00am - ESPN
Winner: Brazil
Both of these teams have pretty much locked up a spot in the next round (barring a miracle that sees Portugal lose and the Ivory Coast make up a nine-goal differential) but there is still a bit of drama in this one. This group is matched up with Spain's group in the next round, so if Spain wins their group, second place from Brazil/Portugal faces Spain; if Spain comes in second in their group, first place from Brazil/Portugal faces Spain. Give the edge to Brazil, as they don't seem to be intimidated by anyone and they always play to win.

Ivory Coast vs. North Korea
10:00am - ESPN 2
Winner: Ivory Coast
As previously stated, the Ivory Coast needs a miracle, in the form of a huge, huge win over North Korea. Portugal put up seven goals against the North Koreans, so it can be done, but expect North Korea to defend with a little more intensity to avoid another embarrassment before heading home. Ivory Coast gets the win but not by the margin they need to advance.

Italy Eliminated in First Round

Italy, the winners of the 2006 World Cup, were eliminated following a 3-2 loss to Slovakia. To add insult to injury, the Italians ended up last in their group, behind New Zealand, one of the tournament's biggest underdogs. Can't imagine that will go over too well in Rome, Florence and Milan. While it is surprising that they were eliminated so early, to call it "stunning," as some headlines have, is a bit extreme. Heading into the tournament, the team selection of head coach Marcello Lippi was criticized for being too old and lacking offensive talent. The squad then opened up with a 1-1 tie against Paraguay, then followed that up with a shocking 1-1 tie against New Zealand in which they went behind 1-0 early and needed a charitable penalty call to get the draw. So after two lackluster results where the team offered little in the way of inspiration, nobody should be stunned that the Italians underperformed again and were eliminated. Going into the final group match with a chance to advance, most people (myself included) assumed Italy would draw on their vast experience at the international level and pick up a win against the Slovakians. But this World Cup has showed us over and over again that past results mean very little. It wouldn't have been surprising if Italy had gotten the result they needed today, but it also isn't surprising that they lost and are heading home early.

Day 14 Predictions, Cont.

Japan vs. Denmark
2:30pm - ESPN
Winner: Denmark
The winner of this match advances to the second round, while the loser goes home. Both teams beat Cameroon and lost to the Netherlands. Denmark's attack looked strong against Cameroon, particularly Dennis Rommedahl and Nicklas Bendtner. Japan is disciplined and organized and won't be easy to break down, but give the edge to Denmark due to the confidence of their offensive players.

Netherlands vs. Cameroon
2:30pm - ESPN 2
Winner: Cameroon
The Netherlands have already qualified for the second round, and Cameroon has already been eliminated. The Indomitable Lions are playing for pride now, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see them pull off the win over the Orange.

Day 14 Predictions

Paraguay vs. New Zealand
10:00am - ESPN 2
Winner: New Zealand
New Zealand has been one of the best stories of this World Cup, and two ties in their opening matches leave them needing a win to advance to the second round, something very few people would have predicted before the tournament. While Paraguay is probably more talented and more experienced, this World Cup has shown that doesn't always lead to victory. New Zealand wins and keeps the dream alive.

Italy vs. Slovakia
10:00am - ESPN
Winner: Italy
LIke England, Italy has good players but has so far underperformed. but also like England, Italy will pull it together when it counts and get the win today to advance to the second round.

Day 13 Predictions

There are some big games today, and both groups in action are still up in the air.

England vs. Slovenia
10:00am - ESPN 2

U.S. vs. Algeria
10:00am - ESPN
Continuing the trend of not making predictions when the Yanks are involved, and extending that to the other group game as well. Sorry folks, you'll just have to go somewhere else for predictions that are probably going to be incorrect.

Australia vs. Serbia
2:30pm - ESPN 2
Winner: Serbia
The Serbians have a strong defense that gives them the edge in this one.

Germany vs. Ghana
2:30pm - ESPN
Both teams will be feeling a little bit of pressure in this one; Germany was tipped as a favorite after thrashing Australia 4-0 in their opening match, while Ghana is one of the few African teams that is having any success in the first World Cup to be held in Africa. Expect Germany to convert some of the chances they couldn't in their last game against Serbia and get the win.

U.S. Open Cup Update

The Richmond Kickers knocked off the Real Maryland Monarchs 3-1 last night in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on goals from Yomby William, Matthew Delicate and Bobby Fogelsong. With the win, the Kickers advance to the third round and will face D.C. United of Major League Soccer on June 30 at George Mason University. William opened up the scoring for the Kickers in the 10th minute, and the score remained 1-0 until the 69th minute, when Delicate converted a cross from Roger Bothe. Fogelsong tallied again for the Kickers in the 78th minute before the Monarchs pulled a goal back five minutes later.

Despite being several divisions below D.C. United, the Kickers have a real shot at coming up with a victory. D.C. has had a poor start to the season, and though they have played better in their recent games the MLS club is still beatable. Normally MLS teams use a lot of reserve players in Open Cup matches, and Kickers coach Leigh Cowlishaw told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he expects D.C. to do the same in their upcoming game. However, don't be surprised if United coach Curt Onalfo uses a few more regulars, as MLS has been on a break since the start of the World Cup and he may want to get some match action for some of his starters, as well as guys returning from injury.

Check out www.RichmondKickers.com for more info on the U.S. Open Cup and the match against D.C. United.

Day 12 Predictions, Continued

Uruguay and Mexico advance to the second round, while South Africa and France are eliminated. The French team may want to avoid France for a while, they aren't exactly the most popular crew right now after their total meltdown and failure to win a game. On to the afternoon matches.

South Korea vs. Nigeria
2:30pm - ESPN 2
Winner: South Korea
South Korea assures itself a place in the second round with a win, but a draw might also be enough. Nigeria needs a win to have any chance of staying alive. I think South Korea gets an early goal, forcing Nigeria to commit more to attack, leaving them open for South Korea to counterattack and pick up another goal.

Argentina vs. Greece
2:30pm - ESPN
Winner: Argentina
Argentina looks certain to advance to the next round, while Greece is still alive as well. The Argentine defense has looked suspect at times but their attack is starting to hit on all cylinders and Greece won't be able to contain them.

Day 12 Predictions

The last games of the group stages begin today, and that means the matches will be played simultaneously. This is done to avoid any shenanigans (See Germany-Austria, 1982 World Cup).

France vs. South Africa
10:00am - ESPN 2, Univision
Winner: South Africa
France still has a chance to qualify, but most people involved probably just want this disaster to end. With that said, they should still have enough talent to pick up the win, but will be playing without captain Patrice Evra who was dropped for, well, not being a very good captain, among other things. South Africa gets the win and goes out in style.

Mexico vs. Uruguay
10:00am - ESPN
Winner: Uruguay
Both teams can advance with a tie, but with Argentina likely waiting in the next round for the group runner-up, they'll want to go for the win to avoid Messi and co. in the knockout rounds. They each have strong offenses, but give the nod to Uruguay because they have a more stout defense. Mexico is also without Carlos Vela and Efrain Juarez, both of whom started the first two matches.

No Blood, No Foul Revisited

Whether you are a regular viewer of soccer matches or you only tune in every four years during the World Cup, you have probably noticed one very aggravating trend (no, not vuvuzelas): Players grabbing their face and falling in agony any time they are touched above their waist. This is done in an attempt to get opposing players red carded and ejected, thus giving the faking player's team a one-man advantage. Soccer fans have grown accustomed to a certain amount of embellishment when it comes to fouls, but this is too much. It is extremely dishonest and makes the faking player look like a complete idiot when the replay shows them to be acting. The problem is, the referee can't look at the replay and is often fooled by the player rolling on the ground and holding their face, and rewards their antics by ejecting the player they think has done the harm. This situation occurred in Sunday's Ivory Coast-Brazil match, and Brazil's Kaka was shown his second yellow card and sent off for barely touching Kader Keita's chest, but the referee bought Keita's hands-to-the-face dance and punished Kaka. This is not a call for video replay in soccer, as that would slow down the game and only raise more questions about how to implement it then it would answer. So let's go old school. In the event that this scenario has happened, the referee will go to the player holding his face and do a quick examination. If there is blood, a black eye or some kind of mark or welt, then he gives a card to the player that struck him. If there is nothing, the faking player gets a yellow or red card, depending on how childish his tantrum is. No blood, no foul. This is the World Cup, not third-grade recess, and if you can't act like a man and play fair then you don't get to play at all.

England's Telegraph newspaper put together a recap of some of the worst incidents of diving and fake injuries in recent history. Take a look at it here.

Day 11 Predictions

France is in complete disarray. All parties involved, including the players, coaching staff and team management, should be ashamed. And to think that head coach Raymond Domenech didn't include Samir Nasri and Karim Benzema in the squad because they had reportedly been disrespectful to older players and he was concerned their inclusion would disrupt team unity. Yes, clearly there is great harmony within the team when one player cusses out the coach and gets sent home and the rest of the team refuses to train in protest ahead of their third and potentially decisive game in the World Cup. Just a disgrace. On the opposite end of the spectrum, New Zealand continues to defy the odds as they picked up one of the greatest results in World Cup history by tying Italy 1-1. New Zealand actually went ahead, only for Italy to be awarded a questionable penalty kick which was converted by Vincenzo Iaquinta. Daniele De Rossi did have his shirt held on the play that led to the penalty, but he really embellished the contact and threw himself to the ground to sell it to the referee. New Zealand is still alive and has a shot to advance to the second round, which very few people would have predicted before the tournament. Speaking of predictions, here's a quick look at Day 11's games:

Portugal vs. North Korea
7:30am - ESPN, Univision
1-1 tie
North Korea played fairly well in a 3-1 loss to Brazil in their opening match and has the organization and discipline to frustrate Portugal (who will be without midfielder Deco due to a hip injury) and limit their scoring chances.

Chile vs. Switzerland
10:00am - ESPN, Univision
Winner: Switzerland
The Swiss continue the fine defensive play that earned them a 1-0 victory over Spain in their opening game.

Spain vs. Honduras
2:30pm - ESPN, Univision
Winner: Spain
Spain probably won't have the services of midfielder Andres Iniesta after he picked up a thigh injury in their opening loss to Switzerland, but they have plenty of depth to compensate. Honduras is not a pushover so expect them to put up a good challenge.

Day 9 Predictions

Incredible game between the U.S and Slovenia today. It was one of the most exciting of the tournament so far, and hopefully there will be more excitement to come as teams get a clearer picture of what they need to do to stay alive in the tournament and go for wins instead of draws. Now on to some more predictions that will probably be wrong.

Netherlands vs. Japan
7:30am - ESPN, Univision
Winner: Netherlands
More attacking talent and depth gives the Netherlands the edge in this one. Eljero Elia, a Dutch winger, is an exciting young player to watch and could make a difference in this match, whether he starts or comes off the bench.

Ghana vs. Australia
10:00am - ESPN, Univision
Winner: Ghana
Ghana is feeling good coming off a win in their first match against Serbia, while Australia needs a win after getting spanked by Germany. The Germans' loss to Serbia means this group is wide open; a win for Ghana puts them in great shape to advance, while a win for the Aussies means they're still alive heading into their final match. We'll give the nod to Ghana in this one, as Australia's defense has been almost non-existent in their last two matches (exhibition vs. U.S. and 1st round vs. Germany).

Cameroon vs. Denmark
2:30pm - ABC, Univision
Winner: Denmark
Cameroon was poor in their opening loss to Japan, while Denmark was slightly better in their opening loss to the Netherlands. Cameroon lacked cohesion against Japan, and there are rumors of discontent in their squad and unhappiness with the head coach. Cameroon may have the more talented players, but Denmark is playing better as a team and will get the win.

Day 8 Predictions

Germany vs. Serbia
7:30am - ESPN, Univision
Winner: Germany
Germany is better, so they'll win. Might take them longer to break down Serbia's defense than it did against Australia though. Before Germany's first game, I sent a text message to a friend that said, "Mesut Ozil will be a breakout star of this World Cup." And he had a pretty good game. So admit it, I at least know a little about soccer.

U.S.A. vs. Slovenia
10:00am - ESPN, Univision
Can't make a prediction on this. Too nervous. Oh wait, here's a prediction: I will be blowing my vuvuzela for the entire match.

England vs. Algeria
2:30pm, ESPN 2, Univision
Winner: England
England gets the nod in this one, though there will be an enormously bright spotlight on whoever ends up playing in goal. There are rumors that Algeria's players are unhappy about their coach's decision to play an overly defensive formation, and as the U.S. showed in their first match, a team needs to be united and has to be able to handle some adversity to have success against England. This doesn't appear to be the case with Algeria.

Day 7 Predictions

Quick note: If you've been betting based on my predictions, I have two things to say: 1). I apologize, and 2). You're a knucklehead. However, if you've been betting on the opposite of my predictions, you're loaded now and I'd like a cut of your winnings. Now, on to the picks.

Argentina vs. South Korea
7:30am - ESPN, Univision
Winner: Argentina
Tempting to pick South Korea to pull the upset in this one; they are talented, very well organized and run non-stop for 90 minutes. But Argentina has Leo Messi. They have other players too, obviously, but Messi can change a game in a split second. South Korea can play with Argentina and frustrate them with their work rate, speed and quick counterattacks, but they don't have an answer for Messi. Argentina wins 2-1.

Greece vs. Nigeria
10:00am, ESPN, Univision
Winner: Nigeria
Both teams need a win if they want to stay alive, as they each lost their opening game. Nigeria is playing better right now and Greece looked pretty weak in their first match against South Korea. Nigeria takes the three points.

France vs. Mexico
2:30pm, ESPN 2, Univision
Tie
France is in such disarray right now that they can't even make it on ESPN and have been shifted to the Deuce. Just kidding. But France is lacking leadership and offensive creativity. Mexico has good attacking players but their first match against South Africa showed they are susceptible to the counterattack. More than anything else, each team will want to get at least a point and keep their hopes of advancing alive, so this one ends in a tie and they live to fight another day.

Day 6 Predictions

Before we get to the games, let's take a second to look at the Brazil-North Korea match, which Brazil won 2-1. North Korea deserves credit for their performance; they played hard and weren't intimidated by Brazil's big-name players. One possible theory is that North Korea, an infamously closed-off nation that gets very little information from the outside world, had never heard of Brazil and didn't know they were so good. Ignorance is bliss, as they say. The North Koreans attacked well and created several good scoring chances, and forward Jong Tae-Se showed he has plenty of talent. Ji Yun-Nam's goal in the 89th minute was very nice and a just reward for the way they played. They may not be the pushover that most people expected them to be. Now on to the predictions that you always look forward to.

Honduras vs. Chile
7:30am - ESPN, Univision
Winner: Chile
Day six is when we finally see some goals, and this game will get it started. Both teams like to attack, and my hunch is they won't be content to sit back and play not to lose like so many other teams we've seen thus far. Hopefully. Chile gets the edge due to superior depth and players with more big-game experience from South American and European leagues.

Spain vs. Switzerland
10:00am - ESPN, Univision
Winner: Spain
Spain can definitely score some goals as well. Switzerland is no pushover, with players in top leagues throughout Europe, but Spain is loaded and looks strong, as evidenced by a 6-0 win over Poland in their last exhibition match before the tournament. Look for Xavi and Andres Iniesta to pull the strings in midfield and set the tempo. David Villa and Fernando Torres form one of the best forward lines in the world. Jesus Navas, a relative newcomer to the squad, is an excellent winger who could have a breakout tournament. He may not start but can have a big impact off the bench.

South Africa vs. Uruguay
2:30pm - ESPN, Univision
Winner: South Africa
The South Africans are full of confidence after their opening draw against Mexico and will have the support of a full stadium in Pretoria. Uruguay got the result they wanted, a 0-0 tie, in their first game against France but will be without attacking midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro, who picked up a red card against France. Uruguay has plenty of good players to pick up the slack, and will probably be the oddsmakers favorite, but 50,000 rabid fans blowing vuvuzelas will spur the Bafana Bafana to victory.

What do you think? Will we see more goals today? Will South Africa get the win and take a huge step towards advancing to the second round? Leave your comments below.

Day 5 Predictions

New Zealand vs. Slovakia
7:30am, ESPN
Winner: Slovakia
New Zealand captain Ryan Nelsen will do his best to represent former club DC United in South Africa, but Slovakia's superior talent will win out in the end. The Slovaks will offer much stiffer competition than the likes of Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu, all of whom New Zealand faced in World Cup qualifying. The step up in quality will be a bit too much for New Zealand to handle.

Ivory Coast vs. Portugal
10:00am, ESPN
Winner: Portugal
Portugal gets the edge because Ivory Coast will most likely be without their best player, Didier Drogba, who is still recovering from a broken arm suffered several weeks ago. It won't be known for sure if he is in the squad until shortly before kickoff, so there is a chance he could actually play. Seems unlikely though. The Elephants have plenty of good players but without Drogba they lack a quality goalscorer and won't be able to match the firepower of Portugal, particularly Cristiano Ronaldo.

UPDATE - 8:55am: FIFA has approved the cast that Drogba is wearing, and he has been cleared to play. He won't start but is available as a substitute. Not going to change my prediction though. Pretty bold.

Brazil vs. North Korea
2:30pm, ESPN
Winner: Brazil
It will be very interesting to see North Korea, a team, and country, that is normally shrouded in secrecy and cut off from the outside world. Expect the North Koreans to work extremely hard and defend in numbers, but they simply can't compete with Brazil. Dunga, head coach of Brazil, is known for being less than adventurous in his team selections, but that won't stop his players from putting in multiple goals.

Innovation or Waste of Time?

Coaches need to do their best to maximize the training time they have between first round matches in the World Cup in order to make sure players are physically and tactically prepared for the next game. This can be difficult, as players are often nursing minor injuries from earlier games, and, from a broader perspective, the group of players and coaches has been together for so long that coaches run the risk of being tuned out. So every training exercise has to have a purpose and has to be relevant to the next match. That's why it was so odd when it was reported that Mexico's goalkeeper coach was using NFL footballs in training with their goalies to prepare them for the unpredictable bounces that the World Cup game ball, the adidas Jabulani, has been prone to. Apparently the idea is that the oblong shape of the American footballs will cause it to spin and bounce in the same way that the Jabulani does. This raised a simple question: Why? If the goalkeepers are having a hard time adjusting to the ball, then they should get as much time with that ball as possible to get used to it. Now doesn't seem like the best time for gimmicks. Either the goalies are so psyched out by the ball that it is all they can think about or this goalkeeper coach is crazy. Is he going to have his players chasing around chickens in the penalty box, just like Rocky did when training for his big fights? Probably not, but I suppose anything is possible. So in the first round of "Innovation or Waste of Time," training with footballs to prepare for a soccer ball is a Waste of Time.

Italy-Paraguay Prediction

Apologies for the lack of predictions the past couple of days. I know you can't live without our insightful insights. Anyway, we're back to it for this afternoon's Italy-Paraguay match, which kicks off at 2:30pm on ESPN.

Italy vs. Paraguay
Paraguay wins 1-0
This is a tricky one to call, so I decided to turn to my trusty FourFourTwo magazine World Cup preview issue for some clarity. According to their experts, here are a couple of Italy's key strengths: lots of experience and confidence that comes from having a close-knit squad. Weaknesses: lack of creativity in central midfield. And Paraguay's strengths? They are hard working and have a close-knit squad with plenty of team spirit. Weaknesses: lack of creativity in central midfield. Well then, that certainly makes picking a winner much easier doesn't it. Fans say Italy has plenty of experience; critics just say they are too old. Paraguay will be without Salvador Cabanas, their best striker, as he recovers from a gunshot wound to the head he suffered in January, but the team has used his recovery as an inspiration and rallying point heading into the tournament. This looks like a game that stays 0-0 until a late goal, and we're predicting it comes from Paraguay. With the game finishing up around 10:30 or 11pm in South Africa, all of Italy's old guys will be tired and cranky and unable to get a tying goal.

World Cup Day 2 Predictions

South Korea vs. Greece
Winner: South Korea
Lots of energy and industry from South Korea will eventually break down a Greek team that is content to defend and score on the counterattack.

Argentina vs. Nigeria
Winner: Argentina
Very tough to predict what we're going to get from this Argentina squad. Head coach Diego Maradona, one of the greatest players of all time, is a bit erratic. He used over 100 different players during qualifying and drove over the leg of a reporter on the way to a press conference to announce his World Cup squad. Rather than apologize, he called the reporter an a**hole and told him not to put his leg where it could get hit by a car. So yeah, erratic. Nigeria has talented players but Argentina is too deep and talented.

England vs. U.S.A.
1-1 Draw
I have nothing witty or clever to say about this one. You might be thinking that nothing I've said about the other games is witty or clever either. Well then, get your own blog.
Great quote about this game: After someone asked if England would be up for this game, Andrew Gay delivered this beauty: "They weren't up for it in 1776." BOOM. Now you're done.

Great Analysis

Some very insightful postgame commentary from Dutch legend Ruud Gullit, in regards to France's lack of offensive cohesion after their 0-0 draw against Uruguay. "France really miss Zinedine Zidane." Zidane is one of the all-time greats and retired after the 2006 World Cup. Bold statement by Ruud. We all miss Zidane.

World Cup Day 1 Predictions

Lots of people out there are making predictions for the entire tournament. I prefer to take it one day at a time, as the cliche goes. So here are my picks for day one:

South Africa vs. Mexico
Winner: South Africa
Mexico has looked sharp recently, but South Africa rides the wave of euphoria from their home-field advantage to the win.
Crucial moment: A miscommunication between the Mexican defense and goalkeeper leads to a South African goal. The reason: 90,000 vuvuzelas being blown at the same time means they can't hear each other on the field.

Uruguay vs. France
Winner: Uruguay
Uruguay gets an early goal, and France, suffering from low confidence levels and an anemic offense, begins to fall apart. Pushing men forward for an equalizer late in the game leaves them vulnerable to a counterattack, which Uruguay's talented attacking midfielders take full advantage of.
Crucial moment: France coach Raymond Domenech quits. At halftime.

Black Stars, White Eagles and the Orange: World Cup Team Nicknames

There are lots of interesting team nicknames in international soccer, and some of the best are on display in the 2010 World Cup. The host country, South Africa, has one of the best: Bafana Bafana (though it's translation, "The Boys," isn't all that creative; still Bafana Bafana sounds pretty cool). In addition to South Africa, the African continent supplies plenty of other good ones as well:

Nigeria: Super Eagles
Cameroon: Indomitable Lions
Algeria: Desert Foxes
Ivory Coast: The Elephants
Ghana: Black Stars

Here are some other quality selections:
Australia: Socceroos
England: The Three Lions
Japan: Blue Samurai
Brazil: Seleção (The Selection)
Slovenia: Dragons

And of course, national colors often play a big role in team nicknames. Spain probably the best when it comes to this category.
Spain: La Furia Roja (The Red Fury)
Italy: Azzurri (Sky Blues)
France: Les Blues
Holland: Oranje (Orange)
Argentina: Albiceleste (White and sky blue)

We can't leave out the U.S. and Germany. America's squad goes by The Yanks, which is decent. Germany has several, but my personal favorite is National Elf, which, when translated, means "National Eleven," (for the 11 players on the field). Still, funny to picture 11 elves running around.

A good list of nicknames can be found here, so check that out if you want a complete list.

What's your favorite team name? Think the U.S. could be a little more adventurous than "The Yanks"? Leave your comments and ideas.

Injuries Taking A Toll

Injuries to key players are stealing the headlines as the kickoff to the World Cup is a week away. Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba broke his arm in a friendly match against Japan earlier today, and initial reports had him missing out on the tournament. However, head coach Sven Goran Eriksson later said Drogba could undergo surgery and be ready to play in 10 days. England captain Rio Ferdinand, a central defender, injured knee ligaments in training and has been ruled out of action, leaving question marks about who will replace him in England's backline. U.S. forward Jozy Altidore suffered a mild ankle sprain and though he will likely be held out of tomorrow's exhibition against Australia, all indications are that he will be healthy for the June 12th opener against England. Other big names that were already ruled out include midfielder Michael Ballack and goalkeeper Rene Adler of Germany, midfielder Michael Essien of Ghana, forwards Charlie Davies of the U.S. and Salvador Cabanas of Paraguay, and, of course, David Beckham of England. For teams with exhibition matches remaining before the start of group play, the main goal will most likely be staying healthy and injury free. France suffered a somewhat embarrassing 1-0 loss to China today, but will probably take comfort in the fact that nobody was hurt in the match.

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