Thursday, June 24, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
We Deserve This.
Citizens of the World,
We deserve to be happy. And the following will make us happy!
And now, back to your regularly scheduled Oil Spill/Greek Economic Travesty/North Korea & South Korea about to go to war/Jamaican Drug War/Kyrgyzstan Ethnic Cleansing/
We deserve to be happy. And the following will make us happy!
And now, back to your regularly scheduled Oil Spill/Greek Economic Travesty/North Korea & South Korea about to go to war/Jamaican Drug War/Kyrgyzstan Ethnic Cleansing/
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
World Cup Predictor
With the world cup kickoff less than twenty-four hours away I am going to make my predictions for the tournament. I am going to take into account qualifying, injuries, and friendlies leading up to the world cup.
World Cup Predictions:
Group A:
In this group, are host nation South Africa, France, Uruguay, and Mexico. Conventional wisdom would have most people saying France should come out on op of this group with Mexico and Uruguay battling out for the second spot. This year, however, France saw a lackluster qualifying campaign, barely eeking by Ireland in a playoff that will remain one of the most controversial games in World Cup qualifying history. This game may also lead to the institution of instant replay or extra officals in future qualifiers. All this and the fact that France lost to 82nd ranked China at home have the French very nervous about their chances in the group stage. Mexico are one of the most dynamic and dangerous squads in the world right now. Their fast paced play and relentless attack have the potential to beat most countries in the world. They have had one of the most rigorous friendly schedules in the world with games against Chile, England, The Netherlands, and Italy. Three of those four matches were played in Europe where North American teams traditionally struggle. El Tri lost close matches to England and the Netherlands, but then shocked Italy 1-0. They also beat Chile at home before these games. Uruguay are a wildcard, they have played very few tune up matches, and squeaked into the World Cup after a playoff with Costa Rica. They netted three away goals against a staunch Swiss defense en route to a 3-1 win, and beat Israel earlier this week. No host country has ever failed to exit the group stage. A few short months ago not many people expected Bafana Bafana to have any chance at getting through the group. With new coach Carlos Alberto Parreira the South Africans will look to keep this trend going. They have strung together wins against Guatemala, Colombia, and most recently a dark horse Danish side. Look for Bafana Bafana to feed off of the home energy to get through with a 1-1-1 record.
Prediction:
1. Mexico 3-0-0
2. South Africa 1-1-1
3. France 0-1-2
4. Uruguay 0-2-1
Group B:
This group will see a more clear cut frontrunner, but the second spot is up for grabs. Group B includes Argentina, Greece, Korea Republic, and Nigeria. Argentina are the heavy favorite in this group despite narrowly winning the fourth and final qualifying spot in a much anticipated match in Montevideo, Uruguay between bitter rival countries. Led by one of Argentina's most beloved players Diego Maradonna, people have questioned his coaching ability with all of the qualifying struggles. Since qualifying for the World Cup Argentina have had a number of soft tune up matches, but also beat Germany 1-0 on the road. Greece were another European playoff winner over the slight favorites, Ukraine, but they have not won a match since. The Pirate Ship have followed their currency into the dumps losing matches to Senegal and Paraguay and they tied North Korea who are the lowest ranked team in the tournament. Nigeria also played a friendly against the North Koreans, but were 3-1 victors. They also racked up ties against Saudi Arabia and Colombia. Nigeria are playing on their home continent, so look for a slight edge against their competition. The final team in this group are South Korea, who have been disappointing since their improbable semifinal run on home turf eight years ago. They have shown some promise in qualifying matches with wins against Ecuador, and an away win against continental rival Japan. They also dropped an embarrassing game to Belarus, but bounced back last week with a close 1-0 loss against power house Spain. Every year a powerhouse limps into the tournament only to dominate competition, and I believe that team will be Argentina this year. They should easily win this group. Greece will in all likelihood finish last unless they can turn their countries economic woes into a rallying point. It will be a very interesting battle for second and third between Nigeria and Korea, with the last game coming between these two countries, it really could go either way, but I feel like the fast paced Nigerians will be able to break through the methodical South Koreans.
Prediction:
1. Argentina 3-0-0
2. Nigeria 2-1-0
3. Korea Republic 1-2-0
4. Greece 0-0-3
Group C
For Most Americans this is the most important group. It will include England, Algeria, Slovenia, and the United States. England are the favorites in this group. They dominated qualifying in their European group, and have shown no signs of slowing down in their tune up matches. The only real dark spot is losing Rio Ferdinand who was slated to be Captain after the very public stripping of John Terry as a result of an affair with a teammates former girlfriend. The English people are hoping that the Three Lions can finally hoist their second cup after a forty-four year drought. The English will look to their talented striker Wayne Rooney and level headed, playmaking Captain Steven Gerrard to lead England to this lofty goal. The United States are coming off of one of their most disappointing finishes in the country's limited World Cup history. They were highly overranked going into the tournament (fourth in the world), but will look to bounce back with a bevy of young talent, who up until very recently looked rather disorganized following their runners-up finish at the Confederations Cup one year ago. The come from behind victory against Turkey and convincing win over Australia are showing that the Americans mean business. The only question will be whether the weakened U.S. defense can hold up against their opponents. Algeria have not performed well of late, but had surprisingly strong campaigns in their previous two world cups. This included one of the more controversial exits in World Cup history in which West Germany and Austria cooked up a scheme to allow the two nations to advance on goal difference sending the Algerians packing. As a result of this game, final matches in the group stage have to be played at the same time. The Algerians will more than likely finish fourth, but don't count them out as they beat one of the most decorated African sides, Egypt, to qualify. The Slovenian side will be eerily reminiscent of the Czech Republic from four years ago. They had a stronger qualifying campaign than many anticipated, and beat heavily favored Russia to book their trip. They have not played a strong tune up schedule, but will have the advantage of playing Algeria in their opening match. Look for the first game between England and the U.S.A. to decide the winner of this group, and if England does win, do not count out the Slovenians especially since the English will in all likelihood go into the final match not having much to play for.
Prediction:
1. England 2-0-1
2. U.S.A. 2-1-0
3. Slovenia 1-1-1
4. Algeria 0-0-3
Group D
One of the tougher groups out there, Group D contains Germany, Serbia, Ghana, and Australia. Germany are the heavy hitting favorites out of this group, but they have lost gritty veteran Michael Ballack to injury. Germany's only real test in getting ready for the world cup was against Argentina at home where they lost an 0-1 result. The Germans still have a strong team, but do not expect them to trounce their competition. Ghana was a surprise in 2006 to exit the group of death, but were also considered a dark horse to get out of the group. They held their own beating the Czech Republic and United States after an initial loss to Italy. They are also missing their star in Michael Essein. Ghana has had a lackluster qualifying campaign, enduring a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of the Dutch, and a loss to European playoff losers Bosnia-Herzgovina. They did have a win over Latvia, but losing Essein may prove to be a serious blow. Serbia had a trememndous qualifying campaign beating France for the automatic berth in their group. Qualifying has been somewhat of a rollercoaster for the Serbs, but their last game will provide hope with a win over Cameroon. Australia's Socceroos had a great 2006, losing out to eventual champions Italy, in a controversial match. The Socceroos have a very large team, and a serious attacking threat in the embodiment of Tim Cahill. They put together a very steadfast back, and are very dangerous on set pieces as a result of their size. Germany should come out of this group on top, but it will not be a cake walk. The second spot will go to the hungriest team. It will be interesting to see the very attack minded Serbia and Ghana go against the strong defense of Australia.
Prediction:
1. Germany 2-0-1
2. Australia 2-1-0
3. Serbia 1-1-1
4. Ghana 0-0-3
Group E
This is another one of the more clear cut groups, but more often than not, the groups that seem simple turn in some of the most shocking upsets. Group E includes The Netherlands, Cameroon, Japan, and Denmark. The Netherlands have been one of the best footballing countries in the world, and were it not for their propensity for underachievement in international competition I think many would be saying that the Dutch and Brazilians would be the odds favorites to win the Cup. Wins over The United States, Mexico, Ghana, and Hungary in friendlies have shown that the Dutch are in top form after dominating their group in qualifying, winning every game and conceding only two goals. Cameroon have not won a friendly leading up to the World Cup, but have had some very encouraging and close matches against quality opponents including, but not limited to tying Italy 0-0, a closely contested 3-4 loss to Serbia, and a 1-3 loss to Portugal. Look for Cameroon's high powered, fast paced offense to feed off of the energy of playing on their home continent. The Danes are one of the dark horses of the tournament and are led by the longest tenured coach in the World Cup, Morten Olsen. Although their qualifying campaign has not been what they would have hoped for look for the Danes led by Nicklas Bendtner to pose a threat. Japan have lost most of their qualifying games leading up, and are looking to be the odd man out in this group. The last time they made it out of the group stage was as the co-host eight years ago, losing to Turkey in the round of 16. Look for the Netherlands to move forward with a plethora of talent as they try to shake the ghosts of past iniquities. Cameroon and Denmark will fight for second with Cameroon making it through on their home continent.
Prediction:
1. Netherlands 3-0-0
2. Cameroon 2-1-0
3. Denmark 0-2-1
4. Japan 0-2-1
Group F
This group has defending Champion Italy alongside New Zealand, Slovakia, and Paraguay. Italy could not have asked for a much easier trip back to the knockout stages than this group. Slovakia and Paraguay are both great sides, but neither pose the kind of threat Italy do. Italy are defending their world title with one of the best keepers in the game in Gianluigi Buffon, as well as one of the best defenses in the world. The Azzurri will run through this group with few problems despite a sloppy friendly campaign leading up to the World Cup with a loss on European soil to Mexico and a tie with Switzerland. The Slovaks stunned their qualifying group including their former countrymen the Czech Republic. The Slovaks handily defeated Costa Rica and tied Cameroon in friendlies. The match against Paraguay will in all likelihood determine who moves on with Italy. Paraguay qualified ahead of Argentina in South America finishing third in their group overall (behind Brazil and Chile respectively). Paraguay have beaten Greece and only narrowly defeated North Korea leading up to the World Cup. They drew against Ivory Coast and lost to Ireland. New Zealand were the Oceania group winner now that Australia have moved into the Asia group. New Zealand will in all likelihood finish last in this group, but don't expect them to get pushed around as they have faired well against a number of strong teams including a 1-0 victory over Serbia.
Prediction:
1. Italy 3-0-0
2. Paraguay 1-1-1
3. Slovakia 1-1-1
4. New Zealand 0-0-3
Group G
The group of death; this group includes Brazil, Portugal (two of the top three FIFA ranked teams in the world), Ivory Coast, and Korea DPR. This group includes three teams that many people would say have a realistic shot at challenging for the title, and one of them will not even make it out of the group. It was eight years ago that Portugal didn't get out of their group, but four years ago they lived up to the hype with a fourth place finish. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most dynamic players in the world, and has the ability to control the flow of a game. He also gets very emotional when he plays though, and if he takes himself out of the game emotionally it could spell disaster for Portugal. Brazil are the most dominant footballing nation in the world, they have won the most world titles (5), and have three players coming off of a the European Champion Squad. They are the favorites to win the tournament in the eyes of most. Ivory Coast was dealt a really tough blow earlier this week as Didier Drogba went down with a fracture in his arm. He told teammates he would not be able to play, but there is some optimism he may be able to play in some capacity. The cards unfortunately are stacked against them as if they were in any other group they would be able to get through group play and have Drogba join up in the knockout phase. Even if they had Korea DPR in one of the first two games it would be better, but it is their last match. Don't count this team out, but without Drogba they are missing considerable firepower. Korea DPR are a shocker to be in the tournament, but they have performed surprisingly well in their qualifying matches. They have had close losses to Nigeria and Paraguay (3-1 and 1-0 losses respectively). They have also tied hosts South Africa and the reeling Greeks (currently ranked 13th in the world). Conventional Wisdom would have Brazil and Portugal to move on, but the Elephants of Ivory Coast are a great squad, and I think they could put together wins against Portugal and Korea DPR.
Prediction:
1. Brazil 2-0-1
2. Ivory Coast 2-1-0
3. Portugal 1-1-1
4. Korea DPR 0-0-3
Group H
The final group in the World Cup has the reigning Europeans, Spain, with Chile, Honduras, and Switzerland. This is another group that sees a powerhouse country with two (maybe an outside shot at three) teams who will be hotly contesting the second place position. Spain have been as dominant as ever culminating in a 6-0 dismantling of Poland yesterday. They do not have as easy of a trip to the knockout phase of the tournament as Italy do, but it would be a huge upset if they did not at least pass the group stage. Chile finished second in qualifying, just behind heavy favorites Brazil in South America, and are a very dangerous squad. Chile's only real test during the friendly schedule was Mexico, which ended in a 0-1 defeat. They have won every other match during their tune up phase. The Swiss are an enigma they have the ability to be contend against some of the best countries in the world, as shown when they won their group in Germany in 2006 (with France in it) and in their 1-1 draw with Italy, but they also didn't make it out of the group phase when they co-hosted the European Championship two years ago. The Swiss are built on a strong defense and methodical ball movement, as many European squads are. If Switzerland can keep Spain close in match one look for a close match against Chile, but if their first game gets out of hand look for them to fold. Honduras landed their automatic berth when the United States scored a late winner against Costa Rica in qualifying. Honduras have not faired well in matches leading up to the World Cup, but never count a gritty side like theirs out.
Prediction:
1. Spain 2-0-1
2. Switzerland 2-0-1
3. Chile 1-2-0
4. Honduras 0-0-3
Since these are only predictions I will reserve in depth analysis for the knockout phase until after the group stage is complete. I will just write in my predictions for winners.
Mexico vs. Nigeria
Argentina vs. South Africa
England vs. Australia
U.S.A vs. Germany
Netherlands vs. Paraguay
Italy vs. Cameroon
Brazil vs. Switzerland
Spain vs. Ivory Coast
Mexico vs. England
Netherlands vs. Brazil
Argentina vs. U.S.A.
Italy vs. Ivory Coast
England vs. Netherlands
Argentina vs. Ivory Coast
Argentina vs. Netherlands
Winner= Netherlands
World Cup Predictions:
Group A:
In this group, are host nation South Africa, France, Uruguay, and Mexico. Conventional wisdom would have most people saying France should come out on op of this group with Mexico and Uruguay battling out for the second spot. This year, however, France saw a lackluster qualifying campaign, barely eeking by Ireland in a playoff that will remain one of the most controversial games in World Cup qualifying history. This game may also lead to the institution of instant replay or extra officals in future qualifiers. All this and the fact that France lost to 82nd ranked China at home have the French very nervous about their chances in the group stage. Mexico are one of the most dynamic and dangerous squads in the world right now. Their fast paced play and relentless attack have the potential to beat most countries in the world. They have had one of the most rigorous friendly schedules in the world with games against Chile, England, The Netherlands, and Italy. Three of those four matches were played in Europe where North American teams traditionally struggle. El Tri lost close matches to England and the Netherlands, but then shocked Italy 1-0. They also beat Chile at home before these games. Uruguay are a wildcard, they have played very few tune up matches, and squeaked into the World Cup after a playoff with Costa Rica. They netted three away goals against a staunch Swiss defense en route to a 3-1 win, and beat Israel earlier this week. No host country has ever failed to exit the group stage. A few short months ago not many people expected Bafana Bafana to have any chance at getting through the group. With new coach Carlos Alberto Parreira the South Africans will look to keep this trend going. They have strung together wins against Guatemala, Colombia, and most recently a dark horse Danish side. Look for Bafana Bafana to feed off of the home energy to get through with a 1-1-1 record.
Prediction:
1. Mexico 3-0-0
2. South Africa 1-1-1
3. France 0-1-2
4. Uruguay 0-2-1
Group B:
This group will see a more clear cut frontrunner, but the second spot is up for grabs. Group B includes Argentina, Greece, Korea Republic, and Nigeria. Argentina are the heavy favorite in this group despite narrowly winning the fourth and final qualifying spot in a much anticipated match in Montevideo, Uruguay between bitter rival countries. Led by one of Argentina's most beloved players Diego Maradonna, people have questioned his coaching ability with all of the qualifying struggles. Since qualifying for the World Cup Argentina have had a number of soft tune up matches, but also beat Germany 1-0 on the road. Greece were another European playoff winner over the slight favorites, Ukraine, but they have not won a match since. The Pirate Ship have followed their currency into the dumps losing matches to Senegal and Paraguay and they tied North Korea who are the lowest ranked team in the tournament. Nigeria also played a friendly against the North Koreans, but were 3-1 victors. They also racked up ties against Saudi Arabia and Colombia. Nigeria are playing on their home continent, so look for a slight edge against their competition. The final team in this group are South Korea, who have been disappointing since their improbable semifinal run on home turf eight years ago. They have shown some promise in qualifying matches with wins against Ecuador, and an away win against continental rival Japan. They also dropped an embarrassing game to Belarus, but bounced back last week with a close 1-0 loss against power house Spain. Every year a powerhouse limps into the tournament only to dominate competition, and I believe that team will be Argentina this year. They should easily win this group. Greece will in all likelihood finish last unless they can turn their countries economic woes into a rallying point. It will be a very interesting battle for second and third between Nigeria and Korea, with the last game coming between these two countries, it really could go either way, but I feel like the fast paced Nigerians will be able to break through the methodical South Koreans.
Prediction:
1. Argentina 3-0-0
2. Nigeria 2-1-0
3. Korea Republic 1-2-0
4. Greece 0-0-3
Group C
For Most Americans this is the most important group. It will include England, Algeria, Slovenia, and the United States. England are the favorites in this group. They dominated qualifying in their European group, and have shown no signs of slowing down in their tune up matches. The only real dark spot is losing Rio Ferdinand who was slated to be Captain after the very public stripping of John Terry as a result of an affair with a teammates former girlfriend. The English people are hoping that the Three Lions can finally hoist their second cup after a forty-four year drought. The English will look to their talented striker Wayne Rooney and level headed, playmaking Captain Steven Gerrard to lead England to this lofty goal. The United States are coming off of one of their most disappointing finishes in the country's limited World Cup history. They were highly overranked going into the tournament (fourth in the world), but will look to bounce back with a bevy of young talent, who up until very recently looked rather disorganized following their runners-up finish at the Confederations Cup one year ago. The come from behind victory against Turkey and convincing win over Australia are showing that the Americans mean business. The only question will be whether the weakened U.S. defense can hold up against their opponents. Algeria have not performed well of late, but had surprisingly strong campaigns in their previous two world cups. This included one of the more controversial exits in World Cup history in which West Germany and Austria cooked up a scheme to allow the two nations to advance on goal difference sending the Algerians packing. As a result of this game, final matches in the group stage have to be played at the same time. The Algerians will more than likely finish fourth, but don't count them out as they beat one of the most decorated African sides, Egypt, to qualify. The Slovenian side will be eerily reminiscent of the Czech Republic from four years ago. They had a stronger qualifying campaign than many anticipated, and beat heavily favored Russia to book their trip. They have not played a strong tune up schedule, but will have the advantage of playing Algeria in their opening match. Look for the first game between England and the U.S.A. to decide the winner of this group, and if England does win, do not count out the Slovenians especially since the English will in all likelihood go into the final match not having much to play for.
Prediction:
1. England 2-0-1
2. U.S.A. 2-1-0
3. Slovenia 1-1-1
4. Algeria 0-0-3
Group D
One of the tougher groups out there, Group D contains Germany, Serbia, Ghana, and Australia. Germany are the heavy hitting favorites out of this group, but they have lost gritty veteran Michael Ballack to injury. Germany's only real test in getting ready for the world cup was against Argentina at home where they lost an 0-1 result. The Germans still have a strong team, but do not expect them to trounce their competition. Ghana was a surprise in 2006 to exit the group of death, but were also considered a dark horse to get out of the group. They held their own beating the Czech Republic and United States after an initial loss to Italy. They are also missing their star in Michael Essein. Ghana has had a lackluster qualifying campaign, enduring a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of the Dutch, and a loss to European playoff losers Bosnia-Herzgovina. They did have a win over Latvia, but losing Essein may prove to be a serious blow. Serbia had a trememndous qualifying campaign beating France for the automatic berth in their group. Qualifying has been somewhat of a rollercoaster for the Serbs, but their last game will provide hope with a win over Cameroon. Australia's Socceroos had a great 2006, losing out to eventual champions Italy, in a controversial match. The Socceroos have a very large team, and a serious attacking threat in the embodiment of Tim Cahill. They put together a very steadfast back, and are very dangerous on set pieces as a result of their size. Germany should come out of this group on top, but it will not be a cake walk. The second spot will go to the hungriest team. It will be interesting to see the very attack minded Serbia and Ghana go against the strong defense of Australia.
Prediction:
1. Germany 2-0-1
2. Australia 2-1-0
3. Serbia 1-1-1
4. Ghana 0-0-3
Group E
This is another one of the more clear cut groups, but more often than not, the groups that seem simple turn in some of the most shocking upsets. Group E includes The Netherlands, Cameroon, Japan, and Denmark. The Netherlands have been one of the best footballing countries in the world, and were it not for their propensity for underachievement in international competition I think many would be saying that the Dutch and Brazilians would be the odds favorites to win the Cup. Wins over The United States, Mexico, Ghana, and Hungary in friendlies have shown that the Dutch are in top form after dominating their group in qualifying, winning every game and conceding only two goals. Cameroon have not won a friendly leading up to the World Cup, but have had some very encouraging and close matches against quality opponents including, but not limited to tying Italy 0-0, a closely contested 3-4 loss to Serbia, and a 1-3 loss to Portugal. Look for Cameroon's high powered, fast paced offense to feed off of the energy of playing on their home continent. The Danes are one of the dark horses of the tournament and are led by the longest tenured coach in the World Cup, Morten Olsen. Although their qualifying campaign has not been what they would have hoped for look for the Danes led by Nicklas Bendtner to pose a threat. Japan have lost most of their qualifying games leading up, and are looking to be the odd man out in this group. The last time they made it out of the group stage was as the co-host eight years ago, losing to Turkey in the round of 16. Look for the Netherlands to move forward with a plethora of talent as they try to shake the ghosts of past iniquities. Cameroon and Denmark will fight for second with Cameroon making it through on their home continent.
Prediction:
1. Netherlands 3-0-0
2. Cameroon 2-1-0
3. Denmark 0-2-1
4. Japan 0-2-1
Group F
This group has defending Champion Italy alongside New Zealand, Slovakia, and Paraguay. Italy could not have asked for a much easier trip back to the knockout stages than this group. Slovakia and Paraguay are both great sides, but neither pose the kind of threat Italy do. Italy are defending their world title with one of the best keepers in the game in Gianluigi Buffon, as well as one of the best defenses in the world. The Azzurri will run through this group with few problems despite a sloppy friendly campaign leading up to the World Cup with a loss on European soil to Mexico and a tie with Switzerland. The Slovaks stunned their qualifying group including their former countrymen the Czech Republic. The Slovaks handily defeated Costa Rica and tied Cameroon in friendlies. The match against Paraguay will in all likelihood determine who moves on with Italy. Paraguay qualified ahead of Argentina in South America finishing third in their group overall (behind Brazil and Chile respectively). Paraguay have beaten Greece and only narrowly defeated North Korea leading up to the World Cup. They drew against Ivory Coast and lost to Ireland. New Zealand were the Oceania group winner now that Australia have moved into the Asia group. New Zealand will in all likelihood finish last in this group, but don't expect them to get pushed around as they have faired well against a number of strong teams including a 1-0 victory over Serbia.
Prediction:
1. Italy 3-0-0
2. Paraguay 1-1-1
3. Slovakia 1-1-1
4. New Zealand 0-0-3
Group G
The group of death; this group includes Brazil, Portugal (two of the top three FIFA ranked teams in the world), Ivory Coast, and Korea DPR. This group includes three teams that many people would say have a realistic shot at challenging for the title, and one of them will not even make it out of the group. It was eight years ago that Portugal didn't get out of their group, but four years ago they lived up to the hype with a fourth place finish. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most dynamic players in the world, and has the ability to control the flow of a game. He also gets very emotional when he plays though, and if he takes himself out of the game emotionally it could spell disaster for Portugal. Brazil are the most dominant footballing nation in the world, they have won the most world titles (5), and have three players coming off of a the European Champion Squad. They are the favorites to win the tournament in the eyes of most. Ivory Coast was dealt a really tough blow earlier this week as Didier Drogba went down with a fracture in his arm. He told teammates he would not be able to play, but there is some optimism he may be able to play in some capacity. The cards unfortunately are stacked against them as if they were in any other group they would be able to get through group play and have Drogba join up in the knockout phase. Even if they had Korea DPR in one of the first two games it would be better, but it is their last match. Don't count this team out, but without Drogba they are missing considerable firepower. Korea DPR are a shocker to be in the tournament, but they have performed surprisingly well in their qualifying matches. They have had close losses to Nigeria and Paraguay (3-1 and 1-0 losses respectively). They have also tied hosts South Africa and the reeling Greeks (currently ranked 13th in the world). Conventional Wisdom would have Brazil and Portugal to move on, but the Elephants of Ivory Coast are a great squad, and I think they could put together wins against Portugal and Korea DPR.
Prediction:
1. Brazil 2-0-1
2. Ivory Coast 2-1-0
3. Portugal 1-1-1
4. Korea DPR 0-0-3
Group H
The final group in the World Cup has the reigning Europeans, Spain, with Chile, Honduras, and Switzerland. This is another group that sees a powerhouse country with two (maybe an outside shot at three) teams who will be hotly contesting the second place position. Spain have been as dominant as ever culminating in a 6-0 dismantling of Poland yesterday. They do not have as easy of a trip to the knockout phase of the tournament as Italy do, but it would be a huge upset if they did not at least pass the group stage. Chile finished second in qualifying, just behind heavy favorites Brazil in South America, and are a very dangerous squad. Chile's only real test during the friendly schedule was Mexico, which ended in a 0-1 defeat. They have won every other match during their tune up phase. The Swiss are an enigma they have the ability to be contend against some of the best countries in the world, as shown when they won their group in Germany in 2006 (with France in it) and in their 1-1 draw with Italy, but they also didn't make it out of the group phase when they co-hosted the European Championship two years ago. The Swiss are built on a strong defense and methodical ball movement, as many European squads are. If Switzerland can keep Spain close in match one look for a close match against Chile, but if their first game gets out of hand look for them to fold. Honduras landed their automatic berth when the United States scored a late winner against Costa Rica in qualifying. Honduras have not faired well in matches leading up to the World Cup, but never count a gritty side like theirs out.
Prediction:
1. Spain 2-0-1
2. Switzerland 2-0-1
3. Chile 1-2-0
4. Honduras 0-0-3
Since these are only predictions I will reserve in depth analysis for the knockout phase until after the group stage is complete. I will just write in my predictions for winners.
Mexico vs. Nigeria
Argentina vs. South Africa
England vs. Australia
U.S.A vs. Germany
Netherlands vs. Paraguay
Italy vs. Cameroon
Brazil vs. Switzerland
Spain vs. Ivory Coast
Mexico vs. England
Netherlands vs. Brazil
Argentina vs. U.S.A.
Italy vs. Ivory Coast
England vs. Netherlands
Argentina vs. Ivory Coast
Argentina vs. Netherlands
Winner= Netherlands
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Things That Go Well Together Part 6
Today we bring back our exclusive series called "Things That Go Well Together." Today's pairing is inspired by a relatively new trend, especially in urban areas.
People Toting Dogs In Hand Bags
and
A Firing Squad
People Toting Dogs In Hand Bags
and
A Firing Squad
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Look what you've done, Taylor Lautner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q77sJT8O56E
I admit, I am a cynical person. There are a few things that anger me that probably shouldn't anger most people. HOWEVER, if this doesn't anger you, I don't know what will. I mean, is it funny? Of course it is. 16 year old kids think they're werewolves and wear fake tails! Did you hear the girl say that gangs are just posers?! Their stupidity is hysterical! I was laughing right up until the part where they said the kid cut the head off of his neighbor's dog and carried it around with him. How is that acceptable?!?! That's not a "kids will be kids" kind of thing. Killing small animals is the first sign of a serial killer! And how is that mom like "it takes courage to be this way"? That's not courage! It takes a clear set of issues to be that way! With a little dose of Twilight. God I hate Twilight...
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The World Cup: A Guide To The World's Largest Sporting Event
On June 11th the world will stop what its doing for a month and turn its attention to South Africa as the World Cup kicks off with a match between South Africa and Mexico.
Here at The Common Room, we love the beautiful game. We love everything it represents, especially on the national level. However, we do realize that in the US, it is much harder to follow than baseball, football, or basketball. Since soccer doesn't get much attention from the sports media here in the states, we are here to help you, our loyal readers with a guide to the World Cup. Today we are going to start with a little background on the 32 countries in the tournament.
Group A
South Africa
Fun Fact - Host Nation
Colors - Green and Yellow
Nickname - Bafana Bafana (The Boys)
FIFA Ranking - 90th
Coach - Carlos Alberto Parreira
Mexico
Colors - Red, Green, White, and Black
Nickname - El Tri
FIFA Ranking - 17
Coach - Javier Aguirre
France
Colors - Blue, White, and Red
Nickname - Les Bleus
FIFA Ranking - 10
Coach - Raymond Domenech
1998 World Cup Champions
Uruguay
Colors - Light Blue, Black, and White
Nickname - Charruas (Indigenous People of Uruguay)
FIFA Ranking - 18
Coach - Oscar Tabarez
1930 and 1950 World Cup Champions
Group B
Korea Republic
Colors - Red, Blue, and White
Nickname - Taegeuk Warriors (Taegeuk is the Korean equivalent of Yin and Yang)
FIFA Ranking - 47
Coach - Huh Jung Moo (really.)
Greece
Colors - Blue and White
Nickname - The Pirate Ship
FIFA Ranking - 12
Coach - Otto Rehhagel
Argentina
Colors - Blue and White
Nickname - La Albiceleste (White and Sky Blue)
FIFA Ranking - 7
Coach - Diego Maradona
1978 and 1986 World Cup Champions
Nigeria
Colors - Green and White
Nickname - The Super Eagles
FIFA Ranking - 20
Coach - Lars Lagerback
Group C
England
Colors - Red and White
Nickname - The Three Lions
FIFA Ranking - 8
Coach - Fabio Capello
1966 World Cup Champions
United States
Colors - Red, White, and Blue
Nickname - The Yanks
FIFA Ranking - 14
Coach - Bob Bradley
Slovenia
Colors - Green, Yellow, and White
Nickname - Zmajecki (Dragon)
FIFA Ranking - 23
Coach - Matjaz Kek
Algeria
Colors - Red, White, and Green
Nickname - Les Fennecs (The Desert Foxes)
FIFA Ranking - 31
Coach - Rabah Saadane
Group D
Serbia
Colors - Red, White, and Blue
Nickname - The White Eagles
FIFA Ranking - 16
Coach - Radomir Antic
Ghana
Colors - Red, White, and Yellow
Nickname - The Black Stars
FIFA Ranking - 32
Coach - Milovan Rajevac
Australia
Colors - Green, Yellow, and Blue
Nickname - The Socceroos
FIFA Ranking - 20
Coach - Pim Verbeek
Germany
Colors - White, Black, and Red
Nickname - Die Mannschaft (The Team)
FIFA Ranking - 6
Coach -Joachim Low
1954, 1974, 1990 World Cup Champions
Group E
Netherlands
Colors - Orange, Blue, and White
Nickname - The Oranje
FIFA Ranking - 4
Coach -Bert van Merwijk
Denmark
Colors - Red and White
Nickname - Olsen's Eleven
FIFA Ranking - 35
Coach -Morten Olsen
Japan
Colors - Red, White, and Blue
Nickname - Samurai Blue
FIFA Ranking - 45
Coach -Takeshi Okada
Cameroon
Colors - Yellow, Green, and Red
Nickname - The Indomitable Lions
FIFA Ranking - 19
Coach - Paul Le Guen
Group F
Italy
Colors - Blue and White
Nickname - The Azzurri
FIFA Ranking - 5
Coach - Marcello Lippi
1934, 1938, 1982, 2006 World Cup Champions
Paraguay
Colors - Red, White, and Blue
Nickname - Guaranies (Indigenous People of Paraguay)
FIFA Ranking - 30
Coach - Gerardo Martino
New Zealand
Colors - White and Black
Nickname - The All Whites
FIFA Ranking - 78
Coach - Ricki Herbert
Slovakia
Colors - Blue and White
Nickname - Repre
FIFA Ranking - 38
Coach - Vladimir Weiss
Group G
Brazil
Colors - Blue and Yellow
Nickname - The Samba Kings
FIFA Ranking - 1
Coach -Dunga
1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 World Cup Champions
Cote d'Ivoire
Colors - Orange, Green, and White
Nickname - The Elephants
FIFA Ranking - 27
Coach -Sven-Goran Eriksson
Portugal
Colors - Red, Green, and White
Nickname - Seleccao de Quinas
FIFA Ranking - 3
Coach - Carlos Queiroz
North Korea
Colors - Red and White
Nickname - Chollina
FIFA Ranking - 106
Coach - Kim Jong-Hun
Group H
Honduras
Colors - Blue and White
Nickname - Los Catrachos
FIFA Ranking - 40
Coach - Reinaldo Rueda
Chile
Colors - Red, White, and Blue
Nickname - La Roja
FIFA Ranking - 15
Coach -Marcello Bielsa
Spain
Colors - Red, Blue, and Gold
Nickname - La Furia Roja
FIFA Ranking - 2
Coach - Vincente del Bosque
Switzerland
Colors - Red and White
Nickname - Schweizer Nati
FIFA Ranking - 21
Coach - Ottmar Hitzfeld
Thus concludes the first part of our World Cup coverage. We leave you with the Official Theme Song for World Cup 2010.
Here at The Common Room, we love the beautiful game. We love everything it represents, especially on the national level. However, we do realize that in the US, it is much harder to follow than baseball, football, or basketball. Since soccer doesn't get much attention from the sports media here in the states, we are here to help you, our loyal readers with a guide to the World Cup. Today we are going to start with a little background on the 32 countries in the tournament.
Group A
South Africa
Fun Fact - Host Nation
Colors - Green and Yellow
Nickname - Bafana Bafana (The Boys)
FIFA Ranking - 90th
Coach - Carlos Alberto Parreira
Mexico
Colors - Red, Green, White, and Black
Nickname - El Tri
FIFA Ranking - 17
Coach - Javier Aguirre
France
Colors - Blue, White, and Red
Nickname - Les Bleus
FIFA Ranking - 10
Coach - Raymond Domenech
1998 World Cup Champions
Uruguay
Colors - Light Blue, Black, and White
Nickname - Charruas (Indigenous People of Uruguay)
FIFA Ranking - 18
Coach - Oscar Tabarez
1930 and 1950 World Cup Champions
Group B
Korea Republic
Colors - Red, Blue, and White
Nickname - Taegeuk Warriors (Taegeuk is the Korean equivalent of Yin and Yang)
FIFA Ranking - 47
Coach - Huh Jung Moo (really.)
Greece
Colors - Blue and White
Nickname - The Pirate Ship
FIFA Ranking - 12
Coach - Otto Rehhagel
Argentina
Colors - Blue and White
Nickname - La Albiceleste (White and Sky Blue)
FIFA Ranking - 7
Coach - Diego Maradona
1978 and 1986 World Cup Champions
Nigeria
Colors - Green and White
Nickname - The Super Eagles
FIFA Ranking - 20
Coach - Lars Lagerback
Group C
England
Colors - Red and White
Nickname - The Three Lions
FIFA Ranking - 8
Coach - Fabio Capello
1966 World Cup Champions
United States
Colors - Red, White, and Blue
Nickname - The Yanks
FIFA Ranking - 14
Coach - Bob Bradley
Slovenia
Colors - Green, Yellow, and White
Nickname - Zmajecki (Dragon)
FIFA Ranking - 23
Coach - Matjaz Kek
Algeria
Colors - Red, White, and Green
Nickname - Les Fennecs (The Desert Foxes)
FIFA Ranking - 31
Coach - Rabah Saadane
Group D
Serbia
Colors - Red, White, and Blue
Nickname - The White Eagles
FIFA Ranking - 16
Coach - Radomir Antic
Ghana
Colors - Red, White, and Yellow
Nickname - The Black Stars
FIFA Ranking - 32
Coach - Milovan Rajevac
Australia
Colors - Green, Yellow, and Blue
Nickname - The Socceroos
FIFA Ranking - 20
Coach - Pim Verbeek
Germany
Colors - White, Black, and Red
Nickname - Die Mannschaft (The Team)
FIFA Ranking - 6
Coach -Joachim Low
1954, 1974, 1990 World Cup Champions
Group E
Netherlands
Colors - Orange, Blue, and White
Nickname - The Oranje
FIFA Ranking - 4
Coach -Bert van Merwijk
Denmark
Colors - Red and White
Nickname - Olsen's Eleven
FIFA Ranking - 35
Coach -Morten Olsen
Japan
Colors - Red, White, and Blue
Nickname - Samurai Blue
FIFA Ranking - 45
Coach -Takeshi Okada
Cameroon
Colors - Yellow, Green, and Red
Nickname - The Indomitable Lions
FIFA Ranking - 19
Coach - Paul Le Guen
Group F
Italy
Colors - Blue and White
Nickname - The Azzurri
FIFA Ranking - 5
Coach - Marcello Lippi
1934, 1938, 1982, 2006 World Cup Champions
Paraguay
Colors - Red, White, and Blue
Nickname - Guaranies (Indigenous People of Paraguay)
FIFA Ranking - 30
Coach - Gerardo Martino
New Zealand
Colors - White and Black
Nickname - The All Whites
FIFA Ranking - 78
Coach - Ricki Herbert
Slovakia
Colors - Blue and White
Nickname - Repre
FIFA Ranking - 38
Coach - Vladimir Weiss
Group G
Brazil
Colors - Blue and Yellow
Nickname - The Samba Kings
FIFA Ranking - 1
Coach -Dunga
1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 World Cup Champions
Cote d'Ivoire
Colors - Orange, Green, and White
Nickname - The Elephants
FIFA Ranking - 27
Coach -Sven-Goran Eriksson
Portugal
Colors - Red, Green, and White
Nickname - Seleccao de Quinas
FIFA Ranking - 3
Coach - Carlos Queiroz
North Korea
Colors - Red and White
Nickname - Chollina
FIFA Ranking - 106
Coach - Kim Jong-Hun
Group H
Honduras
Colors - Blue and White
Nickname - Los Catrachos
FIFA Ranking - 40
Coach - Reinaldo Rueda
Chile
Colors - Red, White, and Blue
Nickname - La Roja
FIFA Ranking - 15
Coach -Marcello Bielsa
Spain
Colors - Red, Blue, and Gold
Nickname - La Furia Roja
FIFA Ranking - 2
Coach - Vincente del Bosque
Switzerland
Colors - Red and White
Nickname - Schweizer Nati
FIFA Ranking - 21
Coach - Ottmar Hitzfeld
Thus concludes the first part of our World Cup coverage. We leave you with the Official Theme Song for World Cup 2010.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Twas The Night Before The Lost Series Finale
There is going to be a huge hole to fill in my life at 11:30 PM tomorrow night. More on this in the upcoming week. For now, sit back and enjoy the last few hours we get to spend with Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sawyer, Ben, and everyone else. It has been a wild ride.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The 90's: A Television Love Affair
The nineties were a great time to grow up as a child, period. Television became a pseudo babysitter during this time, and almost another member of the family whose sole purpose was to entertain children to the point where they became hypnotized into mindless drones watching their favorite shows. The nineties gave rise to all kinds of tremendous programming, from cartoons to action shows to kids’ game shows there was always something great on television before and after school.
Cartoons during this time really set the bar for future programming for children. Nickelodeon, which was founded as pinwheel in the late 70’s, really garnered major success throughout the 90’s. Shows like Rugrats, Doug, Rocco’s Modern Life, and later on Rocket Power entertained children across the country. These shows were on the Leboff family television on a regular basis. Whether it was mindless bathroom humor like in Rocco’s Modern Life or tales of friendship and hard times as a student on Doug there was something for everyone. Cartoon Network was born in the early nineties as well. This channel originally started to recycle old cartoons such as one of my personal favorites, Scooby Doo, on a 24/7 basis has enjoyed wild success and now has its own original programming as well as a timeslot for the high school/college age crowd with adult swim. Two other shows I will mention in the cartoon category are The Real Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originated as a comic that turned into a cartoon series followed by a number of movies whereas Ghostbusters originated as two wildly popular movies that turned into a series in the late 80’s and early 90’s. These two shows along with Scooby Doo (which was actually a product of the 70’s) were my favorite shows of this decade. I would parade around in my backyard catching (hopefully) imaginary ghosts as Dr. Ray Stantz or fight New York City’s evildoers as Leonardo.
This decade also gave rise to a number of great reality game shows for children. Every kid our age dreamed of bringing home a piece of the crag, getting slimed, or getting a pie in the face on one of Nickelodeons tremendous game shows. Marc Summers was a household name hosting both What Would You Do and Family Double Dare. Family Double Dare probably cracked my top three favorite shows in this category. Everyone always sat on the edge of their seat hoping that the families would supersede the double dare into the physical challenge. The other two shows that cracked my top three, in no particular order, were Legends of the Hidden Temple and Guts/Global Guts. Guts itself was great, but when the producers of the show decided to have kids compete for their native countries, the stakes really jumped up a notch. Mike O’Malley and Moira Quirk were really an unbeatable combination. The one last show I will bring up in this category as an honorable mention was Wild ‘N Crazy Kids. The ridiculous activities that these kids got to perform on television were the envy of every kid that watched the show, hosted in part by, my boy, BrOmar Gooding.
Finally, and most importantly, the one kid’s action show I will bring up in this section is Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. This show was so cool that it saved the g at the end of Morphin to put an extra g in ganggster. I honestly don’t think I know one person that didn’t watch this show. Everyone loved tuning in to watch the power rangers kick some butt (I said butt because I wasn’t allowed to say ass in the 90’s) every Saturday morning. Every week they would take on some new monster sent to Earth from outer space by Rita Repulsa. Looking back on this show the only thing more entertaining than the monsters and putty patrollers the team fought was the lack of any politically correct tact in giving the rangers their colors. Walter Jones (a black man) was the black ranger, Thuy Trang (an Asian woman) was the yellow ranger, David Yost was the blue ranger (not too politically incorrect, but he was a dude who got the color blue), Amy Jo Johnson the hot girl was the pink ranger, and Austin St. John (who has native American heritage) was the red ranger. It is safe to say that if Rev. Al Sharpton watched this show he would have turned his pants into the brown ranger. Much the same as Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, everyone had their favorite ranger in this show that they would pretend to be when playing in the backyard, and would fight who got to save Kimberly (the pink ranger played by the super fine Amy Jo Johnson). This show was everything a kid could ask for before it was bastardized into a thousand new age spinoff shows with new characters.
The ‘90s really were a tremendous decade for television. From cartoons to game shows to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers I will always revel in the incredible programming of this Era. I will always get nostalgic when I see my old proton pack or ninja turtle outfit. Here is a preview of the next topic...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Heoa-AI42bA
Cartoons during this time really set the bar for future programming for children. Nickelodeon, which was founded as pinwheel in the late 70’s, really garnered major success throughout the 90’s. Shows like Rugrats, Doug, Rocco’s Modern Life, and later on Rocket Power entertained children across the country. These shows were on the Leboff family television on a regular basis. Whether it was mindless bathroom humor like in Rocco’s Modern Life or tales of friendship and hard times as a student on Doug there was something for everyone. Cartoon Network was born in the early nineties as well. This channel originally started to recycle old cartoons such as one of my personal favorites, Scooby Doo, on a 24/7 basis has enjoyed wild success and now has its own original programming as well as a timeslot for the high school/college age crowd with adult swim. Two other shows I will mention in the cartoon category are The Real Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originated as a comic that turned into a cartoon series followed by a number of movies whereas Ghostbusters originated as two wildly popular movies that turned into a series in the late 80’s and early 90’s. These two shows along with Scooby Doo (which was actually a product of the 70’s) were my favorite shows of this decade. I would parade around in my backyard catching (hopefully) imaginary ghosts as Dr. Ray Stantz or fight New York City’s evildoers as Leonardo.
This decade also gave rise to a number of great reality game shows for children. Every kid our age dreamed of bringing home a piece of the crag, getting slimed, or getting a pie in the face on one of Nickelodeons tremendous game shows. Marc Summers was a household name hosting both What Would You Do and Family Double Dare. Family Double Dare probably cracked my top three favorite shows in this category. Everyone always sat on the edge of their seat hoping that the families would supersede the double dare into the physical challenge. The other two shows that cracked my top three, in no particular order, were Legends of the Hidden Temple and Guts/Global Guts. Guts itself was great, but when the producers of the show decided to have kids compete for their native countries, the stakes really jumped up a notch. Mike O’Malley and Moira Quirk were really an unbeatable combination. The one last show I will bring up in this category as an honorable mention was Wild ‘N Crazy Kids. The ridiculous activities that these kids got to perform on television were the envy of every kid that watched the show, hosted in part by, my boy, BrOmar Gooding.
Finally, and most importantly, the one kid’s action show I will bring up in this section is Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. This show was so cool that it saved the g at the end of Morphin to put an extra g in ganggster. I honestly don’t think I know one person that didn’t watch this show. Everyone loved tuning in to watch the power rangers kick some butt (I said butt because I wasn’t allowed to say ass in the 90’s) every Saturday morning. Every week they would take on some new monster sent to Earth from outer space by Rita Repulsa. Looking back on this show the only thing more entertaining than the monsters and putty patrollers the team fought was the lack of any politically correct tact in giving the rangers their colors. Walter Jones (a black man) was the black ranger, Thuy Trang (an Asian woman) was the yellow ranger, David Yost was the blue ranger (not too politically incorrect, but he was a dude who got the color blue), Amy Jo Johnson the hot girl was the pink ranger, and Austin St. John (who has native American heritage) was the red ranger. It is safe to say that if Rev. Al Sharpton watched this show he would have turned his pants into the brown ranger. Much the same as Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, everyone had their favorite ranger in this show that they would pretend to be when playing in the backyard, and would fight who got to save Kimberly (the pink ranger played by the super fine Amy Jo Johnson). This show was everything a kid could ask for before it was bastardized into a thousand new age spinoff shows with new characters.
The ‘90s really were a tremendous decade for television. From cartoons to game shows to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers I will always revel in the incredible programming of this Era. I will always get nostalgic when I see my old proton pack or ninja turtle outfit. Here is a preview of the next topic...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Heoa-AI42bA
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