There have been blow-outs and upsets but rarely has the 2010 World Cup been boring. Half of the 32 team field is going home, while the other 16 nations advance to the second round which begins tomorrow.
This tournament, the first ever to be held on the African continent, has been a total failure for the two finalists in the 2006 World Cup, Italy and France, who both failed to make it out of the first round. The French clashed with their coach and team officials and staged an impromptu strike when one of their players was sent home in a fit of pique after a run in with the coach. The Italians, champions on penalties in 2006, were old and creaky and did not show any signs of life until the last ten minutes of their third and final match.
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What is unique about this year's WC is the fewest number of European countries since the tournament expanded to 32 teams in 1998 has advanced out of the group stage. Only six nations — England, Germany, Netherlands, Slovakia, Portugal, and Spain — are going to the second round. In 2006, a whopping ten European countries were among the last 16.
African teams, including host South Africa, were thought to have had a home field advantage. For the most part, they did not. Only Ghana made the second round. Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and South Africa did not advance. Cameroon lost three games by a single goal. Nigeria was disappointing. Ivory Coast was once again drawn into a tough group, this time paired with Brazil, Portugal, and North Korea.
Asian teams, with the exception of North Korea, have played wonderfully. Both Korea and Japan reached the second round for the first time since they co-hosted the 2002 tournament and were in favorable groups. Australia lost out on goal difference. Tim Cahill, a teammate of US goalie Tim Howard at Everton in the English Premiere League, was red-carded against Germany. At the time, the Aussies were only down by a goal, but the Germans added three more against the depleted Soccerroos.
I've really been impressed with the Japanese. Just before the WC, they played a friendly against England. The Japanese led 1-0 but gave up two own goals in the last 15 minutes to lose 2-1. The misfortune of that match influenced the Blue Samurai to play more disciplined football and not make crucial mistakes like they did against the English. Japan scored two beautiful goals on direct free kicks in the first half of the final group match against Denmark. It was the first time a nation had done that since 1974.
One of the biggest surprises in the tournament were the semi-pros making up the All Whites of New Zealand. The Kiwis tied Slovakia on a goal in the dying seconds of injury time. Then they nearly beat Italy, drawing after an Italian play-acted his way into earning a penalty, and finally they tied Paraguay. New Zealand only scored two goals in the tournament, but that was one more than France, and the Kiwis left South Africa with pride unlike the shameful French and Italians.
Indeed the entire Group F that Italy was in was supposed to be the easiest of the eight groups. Slovakia was not well regarded and neither was Paraguay. Nobody took New Zealand seriously as there are but 25 professional footballers in the entire country. Yet Italy will go home to a waiting throng of angry fans armed with rotten vegetables. That was the fate of the last Italian team to not make it to the second round in 1974.
Many people including myself thought the US would advance out of Group C. Drawn with England, Slovenia, and Algeria, the Americans were in a much better position than four years earlier. In 2006 the US was drawn with Italy, Ghana, and the Czech Republic. Both Italy and the Czechs were ranked in the top 10 by FIFA as was the US. It was that WCs so-called Group of Death. This year that was the aforementioned Group G with Brazil, Portugal, Ivory Coast, and North Korea.
Drawing England on a goalkeeping muff, the US was robbed of a win against Slovenia. Spotting two first half goals, the US stormed back in the second half on goals by Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley. In the final two minutes of the match, Donovan send a looping free kick into the penalty area and Maurice Edu ran onto the kick in full stride and volleyed into the net. Unfortunately, the goal was disallowed for a completely non-existent foul. Ironically, it looked like four of the Slovenian players had Americans in bear hugs on the play, which should have resulted in a penalty kick.
The US needed to win their last match against Algeria. Another bogus call robbed Clint Dempsey of a goal in the first half. The Americans threw everything they had at the Desert Foxes but simply could not score. Finally, in injury time. Howard made a save and hurled a baseball style pass to Donovan. Donovan passed to Jozy Altidore on the wing who then centered to Dempsey. The Algerian goalie blocked Dempsey's shot, but the rebound fell to Donovan and he buried the ball, sending myself and millions of other Americans into a frenzy.
Advancing to the second round for only the fourth time, the US has a favorable path to the semi-finals. Matched up against Ghana (2:30 EDT on ABC TV)the Yanks could advance and face the winner of the Uruguay-South Korea match. The Ghanians eliminated the US in Germany, 2-1, on a gift penalty in first half injury time. The other goal came about on a horrendous mistake from since-retired Claudio Reyna.
Ghana is tough, but they are beatable. The only goals they have scored have both come from the penalty spot. Had the US finished second in Group C, they would have faced Germany, a team England has not beaten in World Cup play since the 1966 Final. The Germans have knocked the Brits out of the tournament in 1970, 1982, and 1990. If the match comes down to penalties, expect England to lose as they have a terrible history of losing knock-out games on penalty kicks.