World Cup Final Prediction

Spain vs. The Netherlands
2:30pm - ABC, Univision
Soccer City Stadium - Johannesburg, South Africa
Winner: Spain

Can Mark Van Bommel and Nigel De Jong, the Dutch Destroyers, put the shackles on Xavi and Andres Iniesta, the Spanish Sorcerers, in the battle for midfield supremacy? Can Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie keep pressure on Sergio Ramos and Joan Capdevila and keep the Spanish defenders from pushing up into the attack? Will Wesley Sneijder or David Villa score the goal that makes them the top scorer, and possibly the top player, in the tournament? Those are all important questions, and the answers will go a long way towards determining the winner, but the fact remains that the Dutch can't do much with Spain controlling the ball for the majority of the match. Look for Spain to take advantage of that and frustrate the Dutch on their way to the win. Sorry Ruud Gullit, you've made the world a better place by introducing the phrase "If it ain't Dutch, it ain't much" during this World Cup, but tomorrow Spain will win and you won't be a happy chappy.

Germany-Spain, Continued

Anything can happen in penalty kicks, and the Germans are traditionally very strong in shootouts. I just think that Spain's goalie, Iker Casillas (Saint Iker to his friends in Madrid) would come up with one more save than his German counterpart, Manuel Neuer. Look for Germany to try to take advantage of the fact that Spain's outside back, Sergio Ramos, spends more time attacking in the opponent's half then defending in his own. That could leave extra space for Ozil and Podolski to exploit. Should be a good game.

World Cup Semifinal #2

Germany vs. Spain
2:30pm - ESPN, Univision
Moses Mabhida Stadium - Durban, South Africa
Winner: Spain (in penalty kicks after 2-2 tie)

World Cup Semifinal #1

Netherlands vs. Uruguay
2:30pm - ESPN, Univision
Green Point Stadium - Cape Town, South Africa
Winner: Netherlands

Uruguay has played very well in this World Cup and used a combination of strong defending, sharp attacking play from Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez and a lot of luck (Ghana's Gyan missing a penalty in the last minute of overtime after Suarez used his hand to save a shot off the goal line) to advance this far. However, they haven't played a team as strong as the Netherlands and will be missing several key players, including Suarez and captain Diego Lugano. So the Netherlands are the favorite in this one, but that brings with it added expectations, and that has been something that they have struggled with in the past. It's hard to use the well-worn cliche and say that Uruguay will "be playing with nothing to lose," as the World Cup only happens once every four years and there is no guarantee that any of these players will ever make it to the World Cup semifinals, let alone the tournament itself, again. So both teams will be under some pressure, but give the edge to the Netherlands in what should be a tight game. It would be great if there is an early goal, as that would prevent a defensive battle in which both teams are content to play for penalty kicks. Plus, it would be great to keep Dutch legend Ruud Gullit around, as his analysis for ESPN has introduced some great phrases, such as, "If it ain't Dutch, it ain't much," and "he is a happy chappy." Classic.

Quarterfinals, Day 1

The final eight teams are set and the quarterfinals begin today, with a mix of classic soccer powers and some upstarts from South America and Africa.

Brazil vs. The Netherlands
10:00am - ESPN, Univision
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium - Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Winner: Brazil

Both teams are undefeated, with Brazil picking up three wins and a tie and the Netherlands winning all four of their games. But for two teams well known for their attacking styles, they have been somewhat...underwhelming. Perhaps we have such lofty expectations that we expect brilliant, swashbuckling performances while they are content to get results, show flashes of excellence and keep advancing. So they've both been pretty similar so far in this World Cup, but give the edge to Brazil because their ability to attack and defend is slightly better than the Netherlands' ability to do those same things. Dutch defender Joris Mathijsen was also injured during the pre-game warmup and has been replaced by Andre Ooijer. Mathijsen was a key component of the Dutch defense and had played every minute of both the World Cup qualifiers and World Cup finals.

Uruguay vs. Ghana
2:30pm - ESPN, Univision
Soccer City Stadium - Johannesburg, South Africa
Winner: Uruguay

Much has been said about Ghana being the last remaining team from Africa in this World Cup and how the entire continent will be pulling for them to advance, and with good reason since this is the first time the tournament has been held in Africa. However, it shouldn't be forgotten that Uruguay is representing all the countries in the world that begin with the letter U, and that is certainly a very proud and select group. As a citizen of the United States, a fellow U-nation, both my head and my heart are with Uruguay in this one, and that, along with the support of fans from Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan, should be enough to push Uruguay to victory.