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“I Believe That We Will Win!”
Argentina v. Switzerland will be a fascinating battle between a nation that was ranked as one of the best going into the 2014 World Cup (and not just for fancy, MacGyver-approved pocket knives) and the country next door to host nation Brazil led by one of the best footballers on the planet in Lionel Messi.
Both nations have played well enough to advance to the round of 16, but neither has necessarily dazzled with respect to the astronomical expectations each had entering the group competition. Can Xherdan Shaqiri make that definitive declaration to the world that Switzerland is no longer a force of neutrality, but a force to be reckoned with? Will Lionel Messi finally reveal a world-class performance he’s fully capable of against a highly-rated opponent during the sport’s biggest tournament while wearing baby blue and white?
The bottom line is that this match will be fun to watch.
Belgium v. United States is a rematch of a friendly most Americans have wanted to forget. The Belgians defeated the men in red, white and blue in a convincing 4-2 effort in Cleveland, Ohio back in May of this year. However, that was a friendly and the Americans proved to be anything but friendly to their World Cup adversaries in their three group matches. Since the Portugal game ended in a heart-breaking 2-2 tie, this game versus Belgium in the round of 16 is the U.S.’s statement game. And if Jozy Altidore makes it onto the pitch, it’s a fair bet he’ll be looking to make a statement or two of his own…
And that pregame speech for the Americans may go a little something like this:
“I Believe That We Will Win!”
Go USA!
How I Met Your World Cup Results
The 2014 World Cup Schedule for June 19th:
Colombia v. Ivory Coast (Noon, ESPN)
Uruguay v. England (3:00 p.m., ESPN)
Japan v. Greece (6:00 p.m., ESPN)
In honor of Throwback Thursday, today’s post will focus on a pop culture reference from the past (well, the relatively recent past) instead of game analysis.
When teams I’m a major a fan of are playing during the workday, the way Ted Mosby prepared himself for the Super Bowl with noise cancelling headphones and vision-limiting glasses is surprisingly accurate in how I prepare myself for the afternoon. To some degree or another, it’s how I feel in trying to prevent myself from learning World Cup results.
Some of you may think that’s an extreme measure to take for a sporting event.
Point taken.
But do you want to know what’s even crazier? Seeing your favorite player and team score without knowing it’s going to happen.
And by crazy, I meant crazy awesome.
Will the Orange Lion Roar Again?
Australia v. Netherlands (Noon, ESPN) will likely be a match juxtaposed with a tenacity for attacking the goal on the part of the Dutch following their offensive explosion against Spain and extended periods of calming possession to build team chemistry for games in the future. The expectations will be sky high for the Oranje, but if their performance doesn’t equal last Friday’s, don’t be too quick to criticize. The Dutch made their statement/published a thrilling headline, now it’s time to write the body of their story with engaging and enduring characters and flow. The Socceroos will be hoping to hop in a goal on the still developing back-three of the Netherlands, which could add some drama (for at least part of the game). Of course, let’s not discount a repeat showcase of goal-scoring wonderment by the Dutch, led by Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben. This could be the beginning of something quite golden for the men in orange…
Spain v. Chile (3:00 p.m., ESPN) is the battle for the #2 spot in Group B: period. The Spanish side is fragile, specifically mentally. The Chileans are inspired with 3 points and understand a win will all but send them through to the round of 16. However, as it’s been stated on this blog, don’t underestimate Spain. They didn’t win all those major championships the past 6 years without knowing how to rebound from a loss or setback. Nonetheless, a loss by Spain will officially end their reign as the best national team in the world.
Cameroon v. Croatia (6:00 p.m., ESPN) is likely going to see a determined Croatian side attack, attack and (you guessed it) attack a vulnerable Cameroon defense with the return of their world-class striker Mario Mandžukić. In an already hot and humid World Cup, a big win from Croatia (and its accompanying 3 points) will add some heat to the necks of the Mexicans sitting on 4 points.
Will today prove the end of Spain’s run as footballing royalty?
Can the Dutch improve on an impressive showing in their first game?
Should we learn the names of the Croatian team?
As the World Cup has already shown us just a few days into its month-long journey, anything can and will happen.
The American Dream
Belgium v. Algeria will see a European side sporting black, yellow and red that could very well become one of the sustaining darlings of this World Cup. They are fast, quick on the ball and creative. The snapshot analysis from a post on this blog late last week compared this Belgian side to (potentially) Uruguay from four years ago in South Africa. Also, don’t forget about the team play that propelled South Korea to the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup. Working and playing together matters. This is not to imply a direct replica in performance and/or style, but more so in a broad sense of an underdog that could make a serious run under the radar with efficient team-based soccer.
Brazil v. Mexico will be an exciting match between two nations that are clearly good, but nobody really knows how good just yet. With the opening night adrenaline likely subdued, Brazil will be a little closer to the pitch this afternoon. And, once on that pitch, they’ll meet a Mexican squad that was energized and dangerous offensively in their first game versus Cameroon. However, Cameroon is not Brazil and there’s the rub.
Who will win Group A? In all likelihood, that will be today’s winner.
Russia v. Korea Republic is not the marquee match today, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. Both teams can cause problems and disturb the flow of their opponents. Russian midfielder Victor Fayzulin had this to say about Korea Republic. “They are disciplined. As a footballer, I find it hard to play against them. They are quick, small and sharp players.” It’s very likely the #2 team from Group H (or maybe #1…) will be victorious in this game. One of the best parts about the group stage of the World Cup is to watch as many teams and varying soccer styles as possible. It’s always fascinating to see how different nations and cultures interpret the beautiful game. There are always surprises at this tournament every four years, but you never know when they’ll happen…
Speaking of which: well done Clint Dempsey (an American World Cup record 30 seconds into the game!) and John Brooks for scoring the two goals in a thrilling 2-1 victory against World Cup foes Ghana! With Brooks as a second half sub, Jürgen Klinsmann proved once again that he’s a maestro at substitutions. In fact, Brooks said he dreamed about his shining moment in his World Cup debut, in shocking detail.
“Two nights ago,” Brooks said. “I told my teammates about it. In the dream, I scored in the 80th minute and we won the game. I scored on a header from a corner kick.”
The 86′ minute is pretty damn close!
(Also, great cross from fellow substitute Graham Zusi to Brooks).
The World Cup: where soccer dreams come true.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 