Predictions: Day 5

New Zealand vs Slovakia, 7:30 a.m. ET

Now here's a hot ticket over in Rustenburg, site of the mother of all traffic jams before Saturday's England-US. Pretty good chance the roads will be clearer for this. Kiwis simply don't have the depth of talent to match the likes of Marek Hamsik and Stanislav Sestak as Slovaks compete in their first World Cup finals as an independent nation.

Prediction: Slovakia 2, New Zealand 0

Ivory Coast vs Portugal, 10 a.m. ET

Is this Elephants team over the top? Is Cristiano Ronaldo ever going to score an international goal again? Will Didier Drogba risk it? Remember the days when Sven-Goran Eriksson was a big name? Tough call here. So we split it.

Prediction: Ivory Coast 1, Portugal 1

Brazil vs North Korea, 2:30 p.m. ET “Inexperienced and mysterious” is how FIFA describes North Korea. It's similar to the hype around a China side that eight years ago travelled to South Korea's Jeju island, 20,000 Chinese fans along to videotape themselves watching Ronaldo and the lads destroy them 4-0. That sounds about right, except for the part about 20,000 travelling fans.

Prediction: Brazil 4, North Korea 0

- C.Y.

Comments

[John Gopto]

Shows you how much Mr. Chris Young knows about football.

4-0???

North Korea played a very very tough game tactically, and surprised the world.