José Muti-nho?: Superstition and Uncommon Practices in Soccer

The Associated Foreign Press reported today that a Kenyan medicine man named Mzee Makthub, who is well known for helping politicians and soccer officials with his juju, claims that new Real Madrid boss José Mourinho came to see him and his colleagues to get help for a successful run in the Spanish capitol.

This story may be hard to believe, despite the fact that Mourinho and his family vacationed in Kenya and no reporters or photographers were permitted at any time.  Still, if it were true it would not necessarily be a bad thing.

Juju, or muti as it is referred to in other parts of Africa, has a long history in soccer.  This history does not come solely from Africa, as author Simon Kuper will tell you (Soccer Against the Enemy: Chapter 12).

In South Africa, witch doctors are often flown with club teams to matches, and sometime make more than most of the players.

Former Dutch internationals Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit (who commentated for ESPN at South Afric 2010) had some bizarre rituals of their own.  They employed a personal trainer/psychologist named Ted Troost punch them, yell at them to be light as feathers, and grab them by the testicles.

Former Manchester United ‘kepper Gary Bailey used muti while playing in South Africa.  He let in 7 goals in his first three Wembley Finals at United.  Then, on the advice of a witch doctor, he tied a red and white ribbon around his goal-post and locked a padlock to the net before a 1983 FA Cup Final.  He moved the padlock with him when he changed goals, and Man U won 4-0.  The same trick was used in his next two Wembley Finals, recording a 2-0 victory over Liverpool and a 1-0 victory over Everton.  To recap: without muti, 7 goals against in 3 matches; with muti, 0 goals against in 3 matches.

In 2003, English long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe rubbed the oil of an emu’s belly on her injuries after being hit by a bicycle.

In 2009, Arsenal forward Robin Van Persie became the most famous of a series of soccer players to fly to Belgrade to receive an unusual treatment from a Serbian woman.  The woman massages the injured areas with horse placenta.  The placenta has nutrients, as many animals eat their own to recover from giving birth, and scientists are beginning to explore the possibilities of this treatment.

In short, whether Mourinho went to see the jujumen or not is irrelevant.  It would be nothing more than superstition on his part, and why would a man in his position not try to get all the luck possible?  Superstition has been in sports since the beginning.  Many people put a certain shoe on first.  Some people have lucky clothing.  I myself wore the same boxers for every high school football game I played in, and I even put my work clothes on in the same order every time I get dressed (I am paid largely on commission).  Most baseball players will not step on the chalk lines at any cost.

Superstition is one of the most fun and interesting aspects of sports.  All athletes look for every edge they can get, physically, mentally, and perhaps most important emotionally.  If this is true, there is no shame at all.  I simply hope it works!

Short End of the Stick: The Iroquois Lacrosse Controversy

For those of you who haven’t heard, and for those of you who finds the large amount of articles confusing to follow, here is a breakdown of what is happening in the case of the Iroquois Nationals and their attempt to play in the Lacrosse World Championship.

First of all, to put this into context, the LWC is essentially the World Cup of Lacrosse.  It is held once every four years.  The Iroquois, who along with other tribes invented the game hundreds of years ago, are currently ranked fourth in the world.

What many people do not understand (which is itself understandable because it is often glossed over in American schools) is that Native American Indian reservations are their own states.  They are self governed, and their citizens are not American or Canadian citizens, but citizens of their tribe’s state.  These states just happen to be within US and Canadian borders.  If that is still confusing, just think of the reservation lands operating the same way as Vatican City in Italy.

Each nation, in this case the Iroquois, has their own passports because they are legally independent states.  In many cases, these passports contain handwritten material.  These passports do not satisfy the requirements of passports acceptable for entry to the United States.  Since 9/11, the passport security requirements have been increased, and the Iroquois and many other native nations are currently in the process of upgrading their passports to meet new US and international standards, but the players hoping to attend the 2010 championship do not have these passports yet.

Since the passports do not meet requirements, the US government said that the players would not be allowed to reenter the US on their current passports.  This in spite of the fact that the Iroquois teams have been travelling abroad since the 1970s for international competitions.

The 2010 tournament is being held in England.  The British Embassy in New York told the players that they could not be granted visas for the tournament unless they were guaranteed to be able to go back home.  Since the US could not guarantee this, the visas were denied.

Many politicians and academics publicly supported the cause of the Iroquois.  The State Department offered to give the US-based players American passports so that they could be guaranteed reentry and therefore visas.  This presented the players with two problems.  First, they are not US citizens and do not want to be.  Many players have said that they would never accept a US passport because it would be denying their own culture, history, and heritage.  Second, in order to compete in the tournament the players must play for the team whose passport they carry, and the Iroquois play for the Iroquois, not the USA, which has its own team in the tournament which has been in England for some time now.

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton granted the team a one-time waiver, giving them the right to reenter the USA on their current passports.  The English authorities then denied visas because they say that their government does not recognize the Iroquois passports.  While it has not been specifically stated (at least that I’ve seen) I assume it is mainly the same security issues that the US has with the passports.  The English have told the Iroquois that they must obtain either US or Canadian passports depending on where the players live.

So, the way it stands now, the team is still in New York, practicing at a Long Island lacrosse club’s facilities.  They now have the permission to reenter the US that they were told they needed for visas, but they have not yet been given visas.  They have already missed their opening match, which was supposed to be against hosts England who played Germany instead with a 12-3 victory the result.  The Iroquois are scheduled to play again on Saturday, and as we speak it may already be too late for them to get a flight to England in time to take the field.

The team and the competition are both hurt by this because if the team cannot play in the group stage they cannot be properly seeded for the knockout parts.  The FIL, lacrosse’s governing body, tried to help by the Iroquois some time by taking them out of the Blue Group, a group composed of the last tournament’s top 6 teams.  Germany will take their place in the Blue Group, making the England-Germany match an official one.  The Iroquois have been moved to the Plum division. As far as I can tell (wiki page for tournament structure), this means that it will be tougher for the Iroquois to play for the final, especially if they miss a match because of the travel restrictions.  While the group is an easier one than the Blue Group, they will have to either finish first in the group or be one of the top 2 second placed teams in the tournament in order to reach the top bracket.  Any team that does not qualify for the top bracket cannot win the title, but the middle and lower brackets are still played out.  However, in the Blue Group (which has 6 teams instead of 4), the top four teams can still win the title.  So, the Iroquois would have had to place 1-4 in the Blue Group, but now must win or place a high second in the Plum Group in order to advance.  In short, Blue Group: 66% of the teams can still win title after group stage, Plum Group; 25-33% of the teams can still win the title.  So while their group will be easier, their percentage chances of advancing are cut at least in half.

That’s the situation.  Bureaucracy stands in the way of a top team competing at the top event in their sport.   I know that the law should be applied equally to everyone, but the simple fact is that not everyone has the same circumstances.  This is not a group of Iroquois students who want to go travel Europe, it is a well-known set of specific players travelling with a specific purpose.  Everyone in the lacrosse world will know these players, and with the attention of the event it would be immediately apparent if they did do something wrong.  There is no harm in both powerful countries allowing a one-time exemption so that this team can participate.  Even without the historical background of oppression and mistreatment, it would still be the only right thing to do.

Another thing that I cannot quite grasp in this story is what the Canadian stance is.  The US had to grant a one-time reentry guarantee, but I have not heard of the Canadian government doing the same.  I understand that since the team will be going home via the US not Canada the US reentry policy is the most important, but surely Canada has a view on all of this.

Joey Votto: King of the Queen City

Joey Votto is probably the most underrated player in baseball.  For proof, just look at the fact that he was not included on the NL All-Star roster until after an extra vote, but he was voted the National Leauge MVP of the first half of the season by the other players of the league.  To be fair, this fact may best be used as evidence that the All-Star Vote is nothing but a popularity contest.

Becoming an all-star is great.  Appearing in the game is great, even though he only pinch-hit into an out.  But perhaps the thing that made Joey Votto jump so high up my list of Reds heroes in the last two days was not what he did with his bat, but what he did with his mouth.

When asked about Marlon Byrd’s game-winning play, Votto basically said that it was cool even though he is a Cub, and Votto does not like the Cubs.  He also said that he would not usually pat a Cubs player on the back even in the All-Star Game because he dislikes them so.

Thank you Joey Votto for showing what sports are all about.  Here is a hard-working player, not given due credit by the American public who in general cares more about the names they vote for rather than who deserves to be given the title All-Star, within whom the passion for the game is fierce.  Not just passion for the game, but passion and loyalty to his club which are intense enough to drive him into a deep feeling of the rivalry between the two teams.  This from a player not only born outside the Midwest, but outside of the United States.  If you look at the history, Chicago only started a professional baseball team because they couldn’t stand that Cincinnati had the best in the country while the windy city didn’t have any.  Not to say professional ball wouldn’t have come anyway to Chicago, with a city that size it most certainly would have, but that is just and example of the rivalry between cities which creates the best rivalries.  These rivalries are one of if not the best part of sports because of the passion they give an outlet for; a passion Votto clearly shares.

No real Reds fan likes the Cubs.   Many Reds fans have friends that are Cubs fans, but usually not the kind of fans that actually care about the team or the game, which is why they are tolerated so easily in baseball-mad Cincinnati.  The green flame at the bottom of this anti-Cubs fire is beloved Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman, who (rightly) criticized Cubs because of their fans when an Adam Dunn homerun at Wrigley prompted the Chicagoans to unnecessarily (and stupidly) throw a dozen and a half baseballs onto the playing field.  In an all-too-politically-correct world where many people are afraid to say what they think for fear of over-scrutinization, men like Brennaman and Votto tell it like it is, or at least like the fans feel it.

Some may think Votto stepped out of line.  That’s crap; plain and simple.  I was appalled when Lou Piniella signed with the Cubs.  I’m sure some Cubs fans felt betrayed when Dusty Baker signed for the Reds, but to be fair “Sweet Lou” did far more for the Reds than Dusty did for the Cubs.  Baseball without rivalry is worthless.  As a Reds fan, I would not root for the Cubs if they played against the Taliban.  And while Votto did not go that far, I think that his expression of his dislike for the Cubs is a great thing to see.  I’m sure Derek Jeter feels the same about the Red Sox.  Votto’s attitude means one of two things.  Either (like Marty says) it is true that no one likes the Cubs, or he feels dedicated enough to his club to partake in the rivalries with all of his heart and soul.  Is there anything that professional sports today are starving for more than heart and soul?  I think not.

South Africa 2010 Recap Series: #2- Revisiting Replay

Now that the Cup is over, we can look back at everything that happened with 20/20 hindsight.  One thing that many people will look back on is the lack of replay technology and how it affected the outcomes of so many games. While FIFA has agreed to reopen the discussion on replay, they have never considered it an option before so a big change is unlikely.

This brings up the age-old issue of tradition vs progress.  There are many who believe that the most important thing in any competition is to get the results right and do justice to the players.  There are others (like FIFA President Sepp Blatter) who believe that the simplicity, the non-stop nature, and tradition of the game are crucial to keeping the world’s favorite game intact.

For me, the two things are not mutually exclusive.  Not to mention the fact that diving, which FIFA made an unfulfilled promise to thwart at this World Cup, is far more damaging to the game’s prestige than video replay would be.

I have a plan for implementing video replay that would add the “get the call right” attitude of American football with the “keeping the tradition” enthusiasts of world football.

First of all, in a game where almost every call is a judgment call, only offside and when a goal is scored (and I guess, technically, when a ball is out of bounds) are completely black and white calls.  Therefore, only goals and offside would be reviewable.

Second, the only person allowed to look at replay will be the replay ref.  This referee, much like the video ref in rugby (which I learned about two nights ago, thank you universal sports!), would be in direct contact with the head referee via the headsets.  He alone would have the power to look at a play and tell the head ref what the correct call should be.  He would be able to look at reply the instant it happens, and he would have enough of a camera-aided vantage point to tell the head ref when to stop for replay.

In the case of a goal, if it is judged to have crossed the line a celebration follows.  If not, the ball is stopped most often by either being cleared out of play or held in the arms of the keeper.  Any case would be a reasonable place to stop play for a few seconds so that the replay ref can look at the play.  This would take only seconds.  I can watch a frame-by-frame replay on my TV at home without even controlling it several times in just a few seconds, and most calls are apparent with one replay.  If the keeper has gained possession of the ball, then play would resume with a goal-kick.

In the case of offside, I think replay would be most effective.  Even in perfect position, it is incredibly difficult for any assistant referee to keep one eye on the players making runs and the player hitting the pass, especially on long balls.  If there is any chance a player was onside, the ref could keep his flag down, let the game play out.  Meanwhile, the video ref would look at the replay and either tell the head ref to stop play after seeing that the player is offside or tell him to play on if the player is on.  This would be great not only for the refs, but for the fans watching the game.  They can see plays finish out, and if a goal is scored or a corner won, the video ref can tell the head ref whether or not to let it stand.  If the player is onside, then the game goes on.  If not, then the goal or corner is negated and the defense given a free kick where the offense occurred, with the video ref telling the assistant where to stand to award the kick, and to be honest free kicks are rarely taken from the exact correct spot anyway.  With the help of the video ref, hopefully defenders will be less likely to resort to throwing their arms up and trying to coerce the ref to give the call.  Instead, they can get on with their job, which is to play defense.  This would help decrease one reason so many American’s do not watch soccer:  the fact that players so often do not do the one thing every American athlete is told from day one, “play to the whistle.”

With these general guidelines I think that it would be easy to implement replay technology without hurting the flow of the game itself.  If millions of people worldwide can look at their TVs and known within 5 seconds whether or not a call should be changed, I have to believe that someone with a background as a soccer referee could do the same.

Just imagine that Frank Lampard’s goal which was not given against Germany had actually not crossed the line.  Then Germany would have a legitimate complaint with the system, because they would be missing out on a possible counter-attack chance when play was stopped for a replay review.  However, such a thing is much less detrimental to the integrity of the game and the outcome of the match than the fact that a goal was scored and not given.

The simple fact is that as time goes on, players get better and better.  Close calls have always been part of the game (think 1966 World Cup Final).  When even better players are playing the same game, the speed of the game and thus the difficulty of the referee’s job increases.  How many players in the first World Cup, or even in the 1960′s have the acceleration abilities of a playing like David Villa?  Can you see someone making an inch perfect run then exploding downfield so fast that the crowd thinks “he must be offside” even though he is not without modern training techniques?  Modernity is in every aspect of the game.  It has helped the the administrators of the game, clubs teams keeping track of possible transfers, and coaches analyzing their team’s performances.  Thanks to technology FIFA and UEFA now get huge contracts for TV rights which they can then reinvest in the growth of the game.  Players use technology to become the best they can be.  Even fans can now watch live games, read recaps, and even post their own thoughts all over the world now when it used to be done only by a group of a few people in a neighborhood bar.  The only person left out is the referees.  They have the toughest job of them all; trying to keep giant egos of players and coaches intact while also being as fair as they can knowing that each decision is going to make half the people watching mad at them.  They are under the most scrutiny, the most criticized, and it is they who are most responsible for the integrity of the game.  Referees are the most important part of a successful sports competition.  How can we sit on the outside and say that these men must bear the burden for the integrity of the game while we sit back with all of our technologically advanced ways to criticize them, and say that they must do the toughest job in sports with only what amounts to a walkie-talkie between them?

South Africa 2010 Recap Series: #1- Why 2010 May Be the Most Historic Cup Since the First One

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa will be remembered for many things.  It will be remembered for the huge contrasts in the refereeing quality as some matches were worked wonderfully and others atrociously.  With any luck, it will become the final World Cup held without the aid of technology for the referees.

However, I sincerely hope that this World Cup is remembered for all the history it created.  Here are ten reasons outside the fact that it was the first World Cup ever held in Africa why the 2010 edition may be the most historically significant tournament since 1930.  Some of these feats are clearly more impressive, more historic, and simply more important than others, but they all add to the glory of the tournament that so many thought would be a disaster.

10.) Klose goes Close

-Germany’s Polish-born striker Miroslav Klose scored four goals in what is in all likelihood his final World Cup to go second on the all-time list.  Klose is now tied with countryman Gerd Müller with fourteen career World Cup goals, one goal behind all-time leader Ronaldo of Brazil.  Klose did not have a great club season, but he once again turned on the goals just for the World Cup in South Africa.

9.) Ghana adds African Legitimacy

-Ghana became the third African nation to reach the quarterfinals at a FIFA World Cup.  While most observers were disappointed that Africa’s first World Cup failed to produce the continent’s first semifinalist, the fact is that with this third appearance coming just five tournaments after Roger Milla led Cameroon to the quarters for the first time and being achieved by a team which made the Round of 16 in 2006, African soccer is clearly on the rise.

8.) Fall of the Mighty

-This was the first time that both of the finalists from the previous World Cup failed to reach at least the last 16.  This is not quite as historic as it may seem at first as there have been editions where both finalists did not get past the first round, but those were in the days when not all teams could travel to anywhere in the world, the qualification process was very different, and when only 16 teams were invited to the tournament.  Perhaps more importantly was the fact that these two teams were France and Italy, although the French have done this before.  After winning in 1998, the last time they were finalists before 2006, they were eliminated at the group stage in 2002.

7.) Tops of Top 4

-With a third place finish, Germany extends it lead over the field as the country with the most ever top four finishes at a World Cup.  Germany has been in the top four (and the semifinals) twelve times, finishing fourth once (1958), third four times (1934, 1970, 2006, 2010), second four times (1966, 1982, 1986, 2002), and winning the title three times (1954, 1974, 1990).  Brazil is in second place, with ten top four finishes (although only 9 semifinal appearances because the 1950 tournament had a group stage to determine the winner, not a final), including five titles and two second-place finished.  Germany and Brazil are tied at the top with seven finals appearances.  This begs the questions of why Brazil is always so highly favored while Germany is ignored, and which team is really the most successful at the tournament.  Are titles really all that matter?

6.) A Record for the Youth System

-With Thomas Müller winning the Best Young Player award, Germany becomes the first nation to ever have back-to-back Best Young Player award winners.  First-team regular Lukas Poldoski won the award for Germany in 2006.  This is an interesting stat for obvious reasons as the success of the youngster helps illustrate why Germany are consistently in title contention at the World Cup.  The stat is also interesting because although Podolski won the award for Germany he was born in Poland.  The ability of players to choose a nation to play for (within certain rules and criterion) is the closest thing in international soccer to the transfers and player selections that happened annually in the club game.  As long as that is the closest the two come ideologically, the international game will remain far more competitive.

5.) Two Firsts in a Fourth

-By winning the 2010 Golden Ball, awarded to the best player of the tournament as voted on by the media, Deigo Forlán accomplished to feats.  He became the first player from Uruguay to win the award.  With Uruguay finishing 4^th, the South Americans became the lowest-finishing team to ever produce a Golden Ball winner.  He also became only the second player to win the award without playing in the final as Italy’s Salvatore Schillaci won the award in 1990 with Italy finishing in 3^rd place.

4.) The First No One Wanted

-South Africa became the first host of a World Cup to be eliminated in the group stage.  Still, Bafana Bafana, as they are known locally, can be proud of their performances.  They went out largely because they were by far the lowest-ranked side to ever be the host nation.  On the pitch though, South African can be proud of their performance.  They tied much favored Mexico in the group opener, and the beat reigning runners-up France in the group finale.  They missed qualification only on goal differential (to Mexico) after a nervous side succumbed to the pressure against a Uruguay side that went on to take fourth place.

3.) The Golden Child

-Thomas Müller, the 20-year old German sensation became the first player to ever win the Best Young Player Award and the Golden Boot as sole winner in the same World Cup.  Hungary’s Florian Albert was named the Best Young Player and was awarded the Golden Boot jointly with five other players at Chile 1962.  However, at South Africa 2010 Müller was awarded sole possession of the Golden Shoe outright after being tied with Diego Forlán (Uru), Wesley Sneijder (Ned), and David Villa (Sp) on five goals.  Müller was given the award because he had three assists as well, more than the other three combined.

2.) European First

-South Africa 2010 was the first time that any European nation has ever won the World Cup when the tournament was held outside of Europe.  Spain now joins Germany, England, France, and Italy as the only Euro nations to hoist the trophy.  With the addition of Spain, 3 of the 5 European champions (Spain, England, and France) have won the trophy only once.  All three South American nations to have won the tournament have won it multiple times.  Europe now leads South America by a total of 10 trophies to 9.  No nation outside of Europe and South America has ever won the World Cup.

1.) First Title

-By winning its first ever World Cup title in 2010, Spain has become the 8^th nation (5^th European nation) to win the World Cup.  They now join England and France as the only nations to have won the trophy once.  Spain, however, becomes the only one-time champion to win the title on foreign soil, with England and France both winning at home.  Spain also joins Germany and Brazil as the only nations whose first Cup title was won on foreign soil.  Spain and Brazil are the only two nations who have won the World Cup without ever having won it on home soil.

World Cup: Best Young Player Shortlist- List and Pick

Yesterday FIFA announced the finalists for the Hyundai Best Young Player Award.  This award is presented to the young player who is the most outstanding at the World Cup tournament.

This awards has been won by many household names (even households in the USA!) such as Pele, Michael Owen, and Landon Donovan.  It has also passed over such greats as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The shortlist for the 2010 edition includes three names:  Thomas Müller of Germany; Giovani Dos Santos of Mexico, and Andre Ayew of Ghana.

All three of these players shone brightly at this tournament, but for me Müller is by far and away the clear choice.  Dos Santos played well for Mexico, and was a threat when he got the ball on the wing, but at times he seemed to take on too much at once and often seemed more willing to wait for the ball to reach him than to get back and create for himself.  Ayew was great in the midfield for Ghana, and with a completed pass rate of 85% as an attacking midfielder, you could hardly ask for more.  However, Müller did all these things and more.  In a performance that would make his namesake the great German international Gerd Müller proud, Thomas Müller outshined great teammates such as Bastian Schweinsteiger and 2006 Best Young Player winner Lukas Poldolski.  Constantly involved in the attack, Müller was able to accept the ball on the wings and create and more than willing to retreat and start an attack with a perfect pass.  His chip pass to Klose which led to a Podolski goal against England was nothing short of breathtaking.  He is tied for second place in goals scored in the tournament at 4 with Diego Forlán of Uruguay and Gonzalo Higuaín of Argentina; just one goal behind co-leaders David Villa of Spain and Wesley Sneijder of Netherlands.  Müller has contributed to 7 of Germany’s tournament-leading 13 goals, with four goals and three assists.  It’s no accident that there were only two matches Germany failed to score in: against Serbia with 10 men most of the way after a Klose red and a missed penalty by Podolski, and against Spain in the semis when Müller did not play.  That fact coupled with the stats and the fact that he is only 20-years old means that Thomas Müller has been by far the best young player of South Africa 2010.

Feel free to have your say and vote on the poll below.

World Cup Recap: Round of 16

Top Left Section:

Uruguay 2-1 Korea

-South America carried its dominance into the Knockout Phase.  The game itself was well-played by both sides, and the South Korean fans will be proud of their teams performance, their best ever at a World Cup away from home.  The difference was that Uruguay had more quality in the final third.

Ghana 2-1 USA

-The USA left itself with a lot of work to do after giving up another early goal.  They fought back to tie the game at 1-1 to force overtime.  Once again, the USA was on the wrong side of an early goal, this time with only 26 minutes left to try to make another dramatic comeback.  As the Ghanain players began to embellish not only fouls but injuries (one player was untouched before he fell to the ground squirming and was taken off on the stretcher, which he quickly jumped up from), it became clear that the yanks had simply run out of combacks against the team that knocked them out of the group stage in 2006.

Next match:  Uruguay v Ghana:  June 2 @ 2:30 EST.  Winner advances to semifinal.

-This match will pit South American dominance at this cup against the home continent advantage. 

Top Right Section:

Argentina 3-1 Mexico

-This game will be marred by the fact that Carlos Tevez’ opener for Argentina came thanks in part to the fact that the striker was well offside, but the assistant did not see it.  Still, the scoreline does reflect the flow of the game for the most part.  Mexico had several near misses but they were long-range efforts, and they were rarely able to get through what was so far an untested Argentine defense, but to be fair this is a difficult task when you are chasing the game.  This is the second cup in a row that Argentina knocked Mexico out of the cup at this stage.

Germany 4-1 England

-Despite Frank Lampard’s brilliant strike being wrongly disallowed in a section where the need for replay technology in soccer was once again confirmed, the scoreline does more or less fairly reflect the quality of the play for each team.  This game lacked some of the bite that you would expect in a match between historic rivals.  It used to be said that English players could run, work, be physical, and give their all against any team on earth, but the other teams had more skill.  This England team did not seem to fit either part of this formula.

Next Match:  Argentina v Germany:  June 3, 10:00 am EST. Winner advances to semifinal.

-This match was played at the same stage in the last World Cup with Germany advancing.  However, since European teams historically fair much worse at cups outside of Europe and considering the passion that Argentina are playing with right now, anything is possilbe.

Bottom Left Section:

Netherlands 2-1 Slovakia

-Arjen Robben scored in his first match at this World Cup to put the Dutch ahead.  Despite Slovakia’s tough defense, Robben and Wesley Sneijder, teammates a year ago at Real Madrid and Champions League Final rivals this season with Bayern Munich and Inter Milan respectively, found the back of the net before Robert Vittek scored a consolation goal with an added time penalty.

Brazil 3-0 Chile

-When this match began, one of these teams was to become the first South American country knocked ouf of the tourament.  It was expected to be Chile, and so it happened.  Brazil simply outclassed their neighbors and the scoreline reflects the gap in performance on the field. 

Next Match:  Netherlands v Brazil:  June 2, 10:00 AM EST.  Winnder advances to semifinal.

-Another match between South America and Europe.  The fact that Brazil has won over 25% of the World Cups played coupled with the fact that European teams have never won the title outside the continent and the fact that the Netherlands always seem to hit a wall when they play a great opponent gives Brazil the edge in a game that both teams have enough quality to win.

Bottom Right Section:

Paraguay 0 (5) v 0 (3) Japan

-This match was much more exciting than the scoreline would suggest, especially in the overtime period.  The officiating was autrocious.  It seemed that Japan suffered the worst of it, with a Paraguay defender essentially forearm punching a Japan player without even a foul call while Keisuke Honda was shown a yellow for misjudging a chance to chest down a ball which struck his shoulder.  A Japan penalty which hit the post in the shoot-out was the difference as neither keeper made a save.  While Japan did not fulfill coach Osaka’s prediction of a semifinal run, they can be proud of what they achieved. 

Spain 1-0 Portugal

-Spain seems to be steadily improving as the tournament goes on, and once again David Villa is the one scoring the goals while the world talks about the talent of Fernando Torres who seems to fade away at big tournaments.  Portugal goes home after putting on a diving clinic in their opener against Côte d’Ivoire, and scoring goals in only 1 of 4 games.  Cristiano Ronaldo showed why so many love him and why so many hate him, each game showcasing his skill on the ball and his skill on the flop.  Unfortunately for a Real Madrid fan like me, Ronaldo continues to score only in lopsided games and not when his team needs just one to win.

Next Match: Paraguay v Spain:  June 3, 2:30 PM EST.  Winner advances to semifinal.

-This only all-Spanish quarterfinal makes it three of four matches at this stage between South American and Europe.  Paraguay is the weakest SA team left, while Spain was expected by many to reach the final.