While you wait for some of our more qualified experts to check in with their latest thoughts on the World Cup, here are five more thoughts as we head into the knockout round.
Run-Up Form Matters … In advance of the World Cup, experts were concerned about sides like Italy and France, and sure enough those two power countries are no longer with us. Meanwhile, sides like Germany and Spain had stumbles of their own in the group stage, yet were highly thought of entering the tournament and indeed wound up advancing with some comfort. Actually, look even at the U.S. and its run up – suspect defending but a feisty attitude and the ability to put some balls in the back of the next. That is pretty much what played out for the Americans.
Shock Semifinalist … It has been noticed in multiple places that the path to the semifinals for the U.S. can be considered workable. Regardless of whether it is the U.S. or not, though, that part of the bracket will deliver a surprising semifinalist. Remember, Uruguay only got into the tournament thanks to a playoff win over Costa Rica, while Ghana is without its best player. Then, while South Korea did advance to the semis in 2002, most chalked it up to being at home and some fortunate officiating. The other three semifinalists seem destined to be big names, but one will be a rank outsider.
Never A Breath For The English … First, there was the “embarrassing” tie with the U.S., then the calamitous draw with Algeria. Fabio Capello’s boys did advance through with a solid win over Slovenia, but then get the gift of a match with Germany. If the English should somehow win that match, Argentina likely awaits in the quarterfinals. It’s a bracket that allows English fans everywhere to relive their greatest footballing nightmares. It does add an extra dose of drama for those of us watching from the outside, not sure whether to cheer for familiar players on display every week in the Premier League or hope for a crashing defeat.
How About South America? … All five South American sides have advanced to the knockout stages, a first-time occurrence if the quick reference on the TV is to be believed. While some of the best South American players obviously play in Europe, I’m not sure the American soccer fan has quite caught on to the depth in talent that exists south of the equator. Obviously, Brazil and Argentina have stellar reputations and histories. But, how many would run out to see a Chile/Uruguay South American qualifier like you might a France/Greece matchup? With the next World Cup in Brazil, the South American sides might be setting up for an extended run of dominance.
And The Quarterfinals Will Be … U.S./Uruguay, Germany/Argentina, Netherlands/Brazil, Spain/Paraguay. Would those be fun or what?
Friday, June 25, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Chris Lins On The World Cup
New Media Assistant and former Panther soccer standout Chris Lins checks in with his latest thoughts on the World Cup
The one game I was really looking forward to in the second set of games was Brazil vs. Ivory Coast and it was well worth the wait. Brazil looked good, not great, but good. I think they've improved since their opener against N. Korea and are on pace to peak & play their best soccer during the knock out stages. I stand by my pre-tournament prediction and can say that Brazil will win their 6th World Cup!
Two games out of a guaranteed three; Italy, France and England have failed to impress. Current Cup holders Italy have been the most disappointing team for me. They haven't been able to get a win yet and with their final game against an unpredictable Slovakian team, it will be very interesting to see the result.
Where do I even begin with France? Aside from the recent release of forward Nicolas Anelka and the team protesting to get him back, France has yet to find the back of the net! Just like in 2002, France failed to score and ended up on the first flight back home. I will be very surprised if France advances to the second round. It's possible, but a lot things have to happen and France needs a favorable result against the host nation South Africa in their final group game. Probably not going to happen.
With all the hype of Wayne Rooney and how solid this English side is, it's been all talk with nothing to show for it. They are currently sitting third in Group C and are set to play against group leaders Slovenia. England must win and have Algeria beat the U.S. for any chance of advancing. I really do think it's too late for England and the United States along with Slovenia will advance from this group.
Anything can happen in these last group stage games, and it usually does. This is where it gets really exciting and interesting. Can't wait!
The one game I was really looking forward to in the second set of games was Brazil vs. Ivory Coast and it was well worth the wait. Brazil looked good, not great, but good. I think they've improved since their opener against N. Korea and are on pace to peak & play their best soccer during the knock out stages. I stand by my pre-tournament prediction and can say that Brazil will win their 6th World Cup!
Two games out of a guaranteed three; Italy, France and England have failed to impress. Current Cup holders Italy have been the most disappointing team for me. They haven't been able to get a win yet and with their final game against an unpredictable Slovakian team, it will be very interesting to see the result.
Where do I even begin with France? Aside from the recent release of forward Nicolas Anelka and the team protesting to get him back, France has yet to find the back of the net! Just like in 2002, France failed to score and ended up on the first flight back home. I will be very surprised if France advances to the second round. It's possible, but a lot things have to happen and France needs a favorable result against the host nation South Africa in their final group game. Probably not going to happen.
With all the hype of Wayne Rooney and how solid this English side is, it's been all talk with nothing to show for it. They are currently sitting third in Group C and are set to play against group leaders Slovenia. England must win and have Algeria beat the U.S. for any chance of advancing. I really do think it's too late for England and the United States along with Slovenia will advance from this group.
Anything can happen in these last group stage games, and it usually does. This is where it gets really exciting and interesting. Can't wait!
Five More Thoughts On The World Cup
Associate AD-Communications Kevin O'Connor checks in with some additional World Cup thoughts
Five more thoughts on the World Cup as we head into the final matches of the group stage …
Take Back Almost Everything I Offered A Week Ago … I knew I should have never complimented the officials, though to be fair I did note controversy would eventually come. And did it ever. That poor man from Mali looked outclassed within the first 90 seconds, and the Frenchman that oversaw the Brazil/Ivory Coast match certainly didn't help improve the overall thoughts of the French at the 2010 Cup. I was more comfortable with my feelings a week ago about South Africa, even though they appear on the verge of being eliminated. And Germany went from favorites to troubled in a short amount of time, yet I still see the Germans as a real threat to advance very deep.
Oh Those French … One overwhelming observation even a casual fan can take away from this World Cup is that almost everyone hates the French. Hard to say if that is a soccer thing or more like an all the time thing, but no one has turned away from the chance to pile on. You do have to admit, the video of the guy throwing his credential at the practice field is priceless. And, as someone who was heartbroken to see Ireland wrongly eliminated by France in the qualifying playoff, I’ll admit this meltdown stuff has been entertaining. Even with some dire predictions heading into the tournament – and a warmup loss to China - it is hard to believe the French have crashed and burned like this.
As For The U.S. … All of the consternation about the officiating aside, could the U.S. have asked for much more than to know that a win over Algeria sends them through to the second round, and quite possibly through as the top team in the group? Yes, the play of the Americans has been suspect at times, in particular the penchant for giving wandering attackers ample room to roam. But, for a country that has bombed out in three of the last five World Cups, U.S. fans should be quite happy with the positioning. Now if Wednesday’s result is something other than a win, U.S. fans will also be quite within their rights to be extremely unhappy. If things go well this week, though, all of a sudden the quarterfinals are not out of the question at all.
And Those Bloody English … The internet is a wonderful thing, because my first reaction to the 0-0 draw against Algeria was to read The Sun and The Daily Mirror to see what the quick reaction was. Just imagine what the reax will be if the English don’t right the ship and go through, after all to the English fans and media the group stage was a mere formality. But no one can have watched a moment of the English over the first 180 minutes and not admit they have problems, and problems well beyond who is in goal. The English look stressed, concerned, nervous and generally a mess. One early goal could change all of that Wednesday, but if it is 0-0 or worse at half, those fancy collars on the English kits might get oh so tight.
Plenty To Still Watch … Sometimes the final matches of the group stage can be a mere formality, with many teams either having advanced to been eliminated. But, with England, the U.S., Germany, Spain and Italy – among others – needing a win to move forward, the final few days of the opening round should be full of drama.
Five more thoughts on the World Cup as we head into the final matches of the group stage …
Take Back Almost Everything I Offered A Week Ago … I knew I should have never complimented the officials, though to be fair I did note controversy would eventually come. And did it ever. That poor man from Mali looked outclassed within the first 90 seconds, and the Frenchman that oversaw the Brazil/Ivory Coast match certainly didn't help improve the overall thoughts of the French at the 2010 Cup. I was more comfortable with my feelings a week ago about South Africa, even though they appear on the verge of being eliminated. And Germany went from favorites to troubled in a short amount of time, yet I still see the Germans as a real threat to advance very deep.
Oh Those French … One overwhelming observation even a casual fan can take away from this World Cup is that almost everyone hates the French. Hard to say if that is a soccer thing or more like an all the time thing, but no one has turned away from the chance to pile on. You do have to admit, the video of the guy throwing his credential at the practice field is priceless. And, as someone who was heartbroken to see Ireland wrongly eliminated by France in the qualifying playoff, I’ll admit this meltdown stuff has been entertaining. Even with some dire predictions heading into the tournament – and a warmup loss to China - it is hard to believe the French have crashed and burned like this.
As For The U.S. … All of the consternation about the officiating aside, could the U.S. have asked for much more than to know that a win over Algeria sends them through to the second round, and quite possibly through as the top team in the group? Yes, the play of the Americans has been suspect at times, in particular the penchant for giving wandering attackers ample room to roam. But, for a country that has bombed out in three of the last five World Cups, U.S. fans should be quite happy with the positioning. Now if Wednesday’s result is something other than a win, U.S. fans will also be quite within their rights to be extremely unhappy. If things go well this week, though, all of a sudden the quarterfinals are not out of the question at all.
And Those Bloody English … The internet is a wonderful thing, because my first reaction to the 0-0 draw against Algeria was to read The Sun and The Daily Mirror to see what the quick reaction was. Just imagine what the reax will be if the English don’t right the ship and go through, after all to the English fans and media the group stage was a mere formality. But no one can have watched a moment of the English over the first 180 minutes and not admit they have problems, and problems well beyond who is in goal. The English look stressed, concerned, nervous and generally a mess. One early goal could change all of that Wednesday, but if it is 0-0 or worse at half, those fancy collars on the English kits might get oh so tight.
Plenty To Still Watch … Sometimes the final matches of the group stage can be a mere formality, with many teams either having advanced to been eliminated. But, with England, the U.S., Germany, Spain and Italy – among others – needing a win to move forward, the final few days of the opening round should be full of drama.
Friday, June 18, 2010
World Cup Thoughts - Peter Sanger
The first round of games from the Group Stages has been completed. So now, like everyone else, I’ll take on the role of analyzing what’s happened and what’s now to come! So here are the big stories so far.
Vuvuzelas: You can’t avoid hearing them; these are the horns being constantly blown throughout the duration of every game played in South Africa. Many find them annoying and there has even been a call to ban them from the tournament altogether. I’d have to disagree…every country you go to has different cultures, and often you can tell from listening to the TV. where a particular game is being played. For example, in Spain, there’s often whistling, England has team based songs, etc. Therefore, I’m not sure what the big fuss is all about. From a player’s perspective, there’s nothing I like more than playing in a loud, energy-packed stadium.
The Jabulani: Every four years, since Adidas has sponsored the tournament, a new ball debuts at each World Cup. The idea is to update it with the newest technology to make for the best soccer. I’ve had the chance to play with all of the balls dating back to 1990. It’s become somewhat of a tradition for the ball to be criticized each tournament for a number of different reasons. In the United States in ’94, the Questra ball was blamed for being too unpredictable, France ’98, people didn’t like that the Tricolore ball was colored (the first of it’s time), the Fevernova was too light-weight from 2002 Japan/Korea, the TeamGeist from Germany ’06 was even lighter, now the ball of 2010: the Jabulani. This ball has drawn complaints for its trajectory, being too light, and for a hard plastic-like feeling. Unfortunately, I have to agree. My club team of the summer recently began playing with the ball and it’s completely unpredictable. Judging aerial balls is a nightmare and playing long balls is a turnover waiting to happen. Short passing and dribbling remain unscathed, but it’s definitely putting a damper on the World Cup. A great example of the ball’s unpredictability lays in the number of goalkeeping howler’s already taken place so far this tournament. Robert Green of England and Faouzi Chaouchi of Algeria both have been guilty of misreading shots coming towards their goal and costing their team valuable points as a result!
Conservative Play: There’s been a lot of fuss about all the draws and low scoring games so far of group play. There are a number of reasons for all of these:
1) It’s a feeling out process: The first game of a country’s World Cup campaign really can set the tone for it’s whole tournament. Coming away with 0 points from a first game immediately puts you in a 3 point whole in the search for qualifying to the knockout rounds. Just like many NBA teams, it’s rare for a team to peak until later on in the tournament.
2) Once again, the Jabulani: Although it has caused two goals via goalkeeping blunders, it’s the offensive play that has been most affected so far this tournament. Taking away the ability to play quality and accurate crosses, driven passes, and long through balls is like taking away the 3-point line or the ability to throw a deep pass in football. Thus, defenses can make the field very compact, disrupting fast-flowing, short passing games that teams like Spain thrive on. Furthermore, many of these teams and players are used to playing with different balls throughout their club seasons. The only major league to have used the Jabulani before this tournament was the Bundesliga. Any guesses where that takes place? Germany, which just so happens to be made up primarily of German National team players. As a result, it’s no surprise that Germany has arguably made the brightest start to this year’s tournament.
3) Match-ups: When Switzerland, ranked 24th in the world, comes up against heavy World Cup favorite and FIFA’s 2nd ranked team in the world Spain, it only makes sense that they play more conservatively. To try and beat Spain at their own game would’ve put them in the loss column, however they packed things in defensively, stayed disciplined, and took their chances (*chance) on the counterattack and won the game 1-0. Another prime example was the 1-1 draw deemed a success by the United States against England. Largely second best throughout the match, Clint Dempsey took a chance from distance, and the United States rode tough defense and luck to a point out of largely the most anticipated game in group play.
There’s a ton of games left in group play, let alone the entire tournament, so it’s too early to read too much into any of the results so far this tournament. The Germans, Dutch, Brazil, Chile, and South Korea have all impressed while countries like Portugal, The Ivory Coast, Spain, Italy, France, and England have thus far failed to live up to the hype. In saying that, I’d caution against ruling out many of those teams. Italy looked anything but a favorite in the Group Stages before winning it all in ’06 and the same can be said about eventual champions Brazil from ’02. So after viewing the first action of the group phase I’ll leave you with a couple more players to watch as you continue taking in the world’s greatest game at the world’s greatest sporting event.
Mesut Ozil-Germany: Silky-smooth and full of creativity, Ozil used his sublime dribbling skills and accurate and penetrating passing to help Germany roll over Australia in South Africa. Ozil is thriving with the absence of Michael Ballack, taking over as the creative hub for Germany’s attack.
Alexis Sanchez-Chile: Explosive and direct are two ways to describe the way Sanchez plays. This dynamic winger showed that he’s got what it takes at the international level in an inspiring performance against Honduras. In the mold of Cristiano Ronaldo, he uses his speed and ferocious shot to catch goalkeepers on their heels.
Park Ji-Sung-South Korea: Hardly a newcomer on the international scene. Park is finally showing why he became Manchester United’s first Korean player. He’s been playing in somewhat of an anonymity after his dazzling display for South Korea in 2002, but he’s finally taken leadership of the team and scored a beautiful goal over Greece in South Korea’s round 1 win.
P.S. Don’t write off Spain yet! If you read my last post, I picked them as my eventual champions, and it wasn’t without reason. I said with a healthy Torres, Fabregas, Xavi, and Iniesta, the Spanish would thrive. With Torres looking ready to start their next match and Fabregas sure to get a chance, I think Spain can still realize their unfathomable potential.
Vuvuzelas: You can’t avoid hearing them; these are the horns being constantly blown throughout the duration of every game played in South Africa. Many find them annoying and there has even been a call to ban them from the tournament altogether. I’d have to disagree…every country you go to has different cultures, and often you can tell from listening to the TV. where a particular game is being played. For example, in Spain, there’s often whistling, England has team based songs, etc. Therefore, I’m not sure what the big fuss is all about. From a player’s perspective, there’s nothing I like more than playing in a loud, energy-packed stadium.
The Jabulani: Every four years, since Adidas has sponsored the tournament, a new ball debuts at each World Cup. The idea is to update it with the newest technology to make for the best soccer. I’ve had the chance to play with all of the balls dating back to 1990. It’s become somewhat of a tradition for the ball to be criticized each tournament for a number of different reasons. In the United States in ’94, the Questra ball was blamed for being too unpredictable, France ’98, people didn’t like that the Tricolore ball was colored (the first of it’s time), the Fevernova was too light-weight from 2002 Japan/Korea, the TeamGeist from Germany ’06 was even lighter, now the ball of 2010: the Jabulani. This ball has drawn complaints for its trajectory, being too light, and for a hard plastic-like feeling. Unfortunately, I have to agree. My club team of the summer recently began playing with the ball and it’s completely unpredictable. Judging aerial balls is a nightmare and playing long balls is a turnover waiting to happen. Short passing and dribbling remain unscathed, but it’s definitely putting a damper on the World Cup. A great example of the ball’s unpredictability lays in the number of goalkeeping howler’s already taken place so far this tournament. Robert Green of England and Faouzi Chaouchi of Algeria both have been guilty of misreading shots coming towards their goal and costing their team valuable points as a result!
Conservative Play: There’s been a lot of fuss about all the draws and low scoring games so far of group play. There are a number of reasons for all of these:
1) It’s a feeling out process: The first game of a country’s World Cup campaign really can set the tone for it’s whole tournament. Coming away with 0 points from a first game immediately puts you in a 3 point whole in the search for qualifying to the knockout rounds. Just like many NBA teams, it’s rare for a team to peak until later on in the tournament.
2) Once again, the Jabulani: Although it has caused two goals via goalkeeping blunders, it’s the offensive play that has been most affected so far this tournament. Taking away the ability to play quality and accurate crosses, driven passes, and long through balls is like taking away the 3-point line or the ability to throw a deep pass in football. Thus, defenses can make the field very compact, disrupting fast-flowing, short passing games that teams like Spain thrive on. Furthermore, many of these teams and players are used to playing with different balls throughout their club seasons. The only major league to have used the Jabulani before this tournament was the Bundesliga. Any guesses where that takes place? Germany, which just so happens to be made up primarily of German National team players. As a result, it’s no surprise that Germany has arguably made the brightest start to this year’s tournament.
3) Match-ups: When Switzerland, ranked 24th in the world, comes up against heavy World Cup favorite and FIFA’s 2nd ranked team in the world Spain, it only makes sense that they play more conservatively. To try and beat Spain at their own game would’ve put them in the loss column, however they packed things in defensively, stayed disciplined, and took their chances (*chance) on the counterattack and won the game 1-0. Another prime example was the 1-1 draw deemed a success by the United States against England. Largely second best throughout the match, Clint Dempsey took a chance from distance, and the United States rode tough defense and luck to a point out of largely the most anticipated game in group play.
There’s a ton of games left in group play, let alone the entire tournament, so it’s too early to read too much into any of the results so far this tournament. The Germans, Dutch, Brazil, Chile, and South Korea have all impressed while countries like Portugal, The Ivory Coast, Spain, Italy, France, and England have thus far failed to live up to the hype. In saying that, I’d caution against ruling out many of those teams. Italy looked anything but a favorite in the Group Stages before winning it all in ’06 and the same can be said about eventual champions Brazil from ’02. So after viewing the first action of the group phase I’ll leave you with a couple more players to watch as you continue taking in the world’s greatest game at the world’s greatest sporting event.
Mesut Ozil-Germany: Silky-smooth and full of creativity, Ozil used his sublime dribbling skills and accurate and penetrating passing to help Germany roll over Australia in South Africa. Ozil is thriving with the absence of Michael Ballack, taking over as the creative hub for Germany’s attack.
Alexis Sanchez-Chile: Explosive and direct are two ways to describe the way Sanchez plays. This dynamic winger showed that he’s got what it takes at the international level in an inspiring performance against Honduras. In the mold of Cristiano Ronaldo, he uses his speed and ferocious shot to catch goalkeepers on their heels.
Park Ji-Sung-South Korea: Hardly a newcomer on the international scene. Park is finally showing why he became Manchester United’s first Korean player. He’s been playing in somewhat of an anonymity after his dazzling display for South Korea in 2002, but he’s finally taken leadership of the team and scored a beautiful goal over Greece in South Korea’s round 1 win.
P.S. Don’t write off Spain yet! If you read my last post, I picked them as my eventual champions, and it wasn’t without reason. I said with a healthy Torres, Fabregas, Xavi, and Iniesta, the Spanish would thrive. With Torres looking ready to start their next match and Fabregas sure to get a chance, I think Spain can still realize their unfathomable potential.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
World Cup Thoughts - David Nikolic
Games have been very tactical in nature with many of the teams being more conservative. The transition play and the goals off of set pieces have played a role already. For example, the goal off the break from South Africa to get the tie and the goal off the corner kick by Italy proved to be keys for each team getting the tie and 1 point.
The South American teams have done well. Uruguay, Chile,Argentina look very good. Brazil is still in a different class even if people are upset that they are not "exciting" enough. Their group is still the toughest though.
Happy for the USA. They played well and were opportunistic to get the goal. Dempsey's goal only continues to prove the point that you cannot score unless you shoot. I hope that Howard will be healthy enough and was very impressed (probably one of the first times ever) with Michael Bradley. He did some great stuff.
Germany put on a quality performance and nobody complained about the ball from their team. Well disciplined and organized. Great goals too.
Serbia and Greece disappointed so far. And for Serbia it only gets harder with Germany next. They need 3 points.
Looking forward to the France vs. Mexico game this afternoon.
The South American teams have done well. Uruguay, Chile,Argentina look very good. Brazil is still in a different class even if people are upset that they are not "exciting" enough. Their group is still the toughest though.
Happy for the USA. They played well and were opportunistic to get the goal. Dempsey's goal only continues to prove the point that you cannot score unless you shoot. I hope that Howard will be healthy enough and was very impressed (probably one of the first times ever) with Michael Bradley. He did some great stuff.
Germany put on a quality performance and nobody complained about the ball from their team. Well disciplined and organized. Great goals too.
Serbia and Greece disappointed so far. And for Serbia it only gets harder with Germany next. They need 3 points.
Looking forward to the France vs. Mexico game this afternoon.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
World Cup Thoughts - Michael Moynihan
With South Africa kicking off the second round of group play, Milwaukee women's soccer head coach Michael Moynihan offers his thoughts on the tournament so far.
So far the Cup is off to a very conservative start. It seems many of the teams are playing the first game simply not to lose. Some of the lower ranked teams however, have defended admirably. The only convincing win so far has been Germany over the Australians, but I wasn't impressed with Australia. We'll learn more about the German team as we go along. I'm still eager to see Spain. 1 more day! South Korea was also impressive in their debut.
South Africa's goal was a fantastic way to get things started. An unbelievable goal. Heinze's goal for Argentina was also a thing of beauty. The Ivory Coast has an impressive line-up and looks to be the strongest African team (hopefully they'll survive the most difficult bracket), but Ghana was well organized defensively and you still can't count out the hosts.
The most impressive player so far has been Messi. He didn't score but provided a lot of excitement and created a number of chances. Looking forward to seeing Xavi though. No one can dominate the midfield like he can.
One of the highlights for me has been the commentary/coverage. Bringing in people that have played the game and coached at high levels outside of the US has been a massive improvement. The only bad spot so far was the goal Mexico had disallowed. The commentators missed that entirely, not understanding a simple off-side call. The commentary outside of that has been refreshing. Awesome to see the US vs. England game scored about the same as the NBA finals in domestic coverage. Of course there are still media people with blinders on that just don't get soccer and probably never will, but it's nice to see that everyone else is "getting it." The passion on display throughout the coverage is inspiring.
Friday's game vs. Slovenia is going to be tough. We have to be efficient with our chances to earn the result. I can't wait to see it!
So far the Cup is off to a very conservative start. It seems many of the teams are playing the first game simply not to lose. Some of the lower ranked teams however, have defended admirably. The only convincing win so far has been Germany over the Australians, but I wasn't impressed with Australia. We'll learn more about the German team as we go along. I'm still eager to see Spain. 1 more day! South Korea was also impressive in their debut.
South Africa's goal was a fantastic way to get things started. An unbelievable goal. Heinze's goal for Argentina was also a thing of beauty. The Ivory Coast has an impressive line-up and looks to be the strongest African team (hopefully they'll survive the most difficult bracket), but Ghana was well organized defensively and you still can't count out the hosts.
The most impressive player so far has been Messi. He didn't score but provided a lot of excitement and created a number of chances. Looking forward to seeing Xavi though. No one can dominate the midfield like he can.
One of the highlights for me has been the commentary/coverage. Bringing in people that have played the game and coached at high levels outside of the US has been a massive improvement. The only bad spot so far was the goal Mexico had disallowed. The commentators missed that entirely, not understanding a simple off-side call. The commentary outside of that has been refreshing. Awesome to see the US vs. England game scored about the same as the NBA finals in domestic coverage. Of course there are still media people with blinders on that just don't get soccer and probably never will, but it's nice to see that everyone else is "getting it." The passion on display throughout the coverage is inspiring.
Friday's game vs. Slovenia is going to be tough. We have to be efficient with our chances to earn the result. I can't wait to see it!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
World Cup Thoughts - Chris Lins
Well after four years of anticipation it has finally begun!!
After watching most of the groups play their opening games, for me personally they have been a bit stodgy. Teams I thought that would fly out of the gates and be exciting to watch have played a lot more defensive and conservative. It is crucial, especially in the format that the World Cup is played, to get at least one point out of your first game otherwise it is very difficult to move forward to the knock out stages.
I am looking forward to watching Spain start their campaign and I have a feeling that these second and third games in the first round will be a bit more stimulating to watch.
After watching most of the groups play their opening games, for me personally they have been a bit stodgy. Teams I thought that would fly out of the gates and be exciting to watch have played a lot more defensive and conservative. It is crucial, especially in the format that the World Cup is played, to get at least one point out of your first game otherwise it is very difficult to move forward to the knock out stages.
I am looking forward to watching Spain start their campaign and I have a feeling that these second and third games in the first round will be a bit more stimulating to watch.
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