Predictions: Day 14

Slovakia (0-1-1 W-D-L) vs Italy (0-2-0), 10 a.m. ET

An Italy win and they're in – a draw, and it depends on the other result. Slovakia win and they could be in, but only if New Zealand fail to take a point from Paraguay (does your head hurt yet?). Azzurri haven't been convincing, but they did look a little better second time out and they'll be intent on preventing an early goal. So far, Marcello Lippi has changed formations while sticking with the same lineup. Both teams are having problems up front, so it looks a tight one – again.

Prediction: Slovakia 0, Italy 1

Paraguay (1-1-0) vs New Zealand (0-2-0), 10 a.m. ET

Paraguay tops the group, but can't slip up here – a loss and the bruising All Whites will pass them in the standing and claim a knockout spot. Unthinkable? There is no such thing at this World Cup. But South American form here has been good and Paraguay is expected to make minimal changes to avoid a knockout meeting with Holland. New Zealand has already surpassed expectations.

Prediction: Paraguay 2, New Zealand 0

Denmark (1-0-1) vs Japan (1-0-1), 2:30 p.m. ET

Second place in the group at stake, with Japan holding the edge on goal differential and needing just a draw to go through. Blue Samurai – that's their name, one of the better ones here – will defend and play it safe against Danish side that is missing suspended Simon Kjaer and may be without ailing Nicklas Bendtner – Kjaer's perfectly weighted 60-metre pass to Rommedahl, and on to Bendtner for the sliding finish against Cameroon was one of the best goals here. Danes would miss big Bendtner on set pieces in which they appear to have an advantage – given the nature of this one, I'd expect he'll play.

Prediction: Denmark 1, Japan 0

Cameroon (0-0-2) vs Netherlands (2-0-0), 2:30 p.m. ET

Dutch is in, Lions are out, so there's not much to play for here except pride, and the possibility that Arjen Robben will get some burn. Robben's been out injured and would be making with debut here. They've played so far as if they have something left in reserve – and still won both. Don't really expect a slipup here against demoralized Indomitable Lions.

Prediction: Cameroon 1, Netherlands 2

Predictions: Day 9

GROUP E
Netherlands (1-0-0 W-D-L) vs Japan (1-0-0)
At Durban, 7:30 a.m.
TV: CBC, TLN (Spanish)
Weather: 19C, sunny
The Game: Dutch woke up in second half of their opener against Denmark. Japan shocked Cameroon for their first World Cup win off home soil. Winner here is into second round and pretty much assured of topping the group. Dutch class should prevail, with Arjen Robben returning to training but not expected to play.

Prediction: Netherlands 3, Japan 1

GROUP D
Ghana (1-0-0) vs. Australia (0-0-1)
At Rustenburg, 10 a.m.
TV: CBC, TLN (Spanish)
Weather: 16C, sunny
The Game: Black Stars can clinch a spot in the second round with a win here after grinding out a 1-0 decision over Serbia in their debut here. Aussies will be missing their top player, Tim Cahill, after he was sent off in their opening-game destruction to Germany and themselves. That’s enough to tip the scales.

Prediction: Ghana 1, Australia 0

GROUP E
Cameroon (0-0-1) vs. Denmark (0-0-1)
At Pretoria, 2:30 p.m.
TV: CBC, TLN (Spanish)
Weather: 8C, clear
The Game: Loser goes home, and a draw doesn’t help either of them much. Lions looked less than Indomitable in their opener and reports have them not getting along with coach Paul Le Guen, so this could be an unpredictable team. Danes looking to get untracked after losing opener to Dutch, but they have some injury concerns. If Le Guen shifts Samuel Eto’o to a striker’s role, and it sure looks like he will, call is for a mild upset.
Prediction: Cameroon 2, Denmark 1

Headlines: Drogba, Ferdinand limping, and Saturday's friendly lineup

The blog will start ticking over for real on Wednesday, first full day in South Africa for us. Until then these posts keep it fed and reasonably happy. Here's your headlines to debate and comment on. Website will have more, no doubt, and we'll try and update some later:

This one could cut deep if it's serious: Didier Drogba on the limp, out of today's Ivory Coast-Japan tuner.

In the England camp, creaky Rio Ferdinand is back in sick bay

Spanish sports daily Marca has a couple nifty digital offerings:

First, all 736 World Cup players on a single page

And second, a schedule calendar wheel.

Here's Saturday's friendlies list, the Coles Notes version:

South Africa vs Denmark: Crowds have been building for the Bafana Bafana and they should get a send-off here that'll carry them all the way to Friday's opener.

Switzerland vs Italy (GolTV, 2:40 p.m. eastern): Getaway game for both teams in Geneva. Italy need to show more than that huffing and puffing 2-1 loss to Mexico on Thursday. They'll get a very straightforward and stolid opponent here in Switzerland, in an equally searching mode.

Netherlands vs Hungary: Dutch attack doesn't need much fine-tuning, but the question is who sits. They have that many options, and Dirk Kuyt may well be odd man out.

Australia vs United States. A final Jo-burg runout for two teams with grand aspirations and blue-ribbon opening-game opponents: Aussies facing Germany, USA vs. England. The essential Jozy Altidore is hobbling for the U.S., while Harry Kewell is finally fit for Aussies.

Others:

Algeria vs UAE; Serbia vs Cameroon; Ghana vs Latvia; Slovakia vs Costa Rica; Romania vs Honduras.

Headlines: Cannavaro living the dream, Eto'o sees red and some video

That's what 2006 World Cup winner/2006 Player of the Year/2010 World Cup swan-songer Fabio Cannavaro was saying as he turned down offers in the U.S. and Italy, and announced a two-year deal to play for in the UAE.  

Australia's final squad was last in the hopper, with no big surprises among the final cuts of mostly youngsters apart from defender Rhys WIlliam, with coach Pim Verbeek blasting English club Middlesbrough and manager Gordon Strachan for ruining Williams's chances.

Here's the big news from yesterday's friendlies menu: Samuel Eto'o, continuing his headline-grabbing form in the run-up, was sent off in Cameroon's 3-1 loss to Portugal yesterday. Full highlights below, but here's that moment from all angles:

More highlights from yesterday's friendlies:

Minus Arjen Robben, Holland rolls 4-1 over an tinkering Ghana side.

Costa Rica beats Switzerland 1-0 (and doesn't that Phillipe Senderos look in midseason form on the lone goal?).

Australia 1, Denmark 0.

Be back a bit later with today's friendlies.

Today's friendlies

Here you go:

Netherlands vs Ghana: Pick of the day. The Dutch have some high-profile WAGS that, according to one report ("Why the Netherlands Will Lose", and nothing like positive thinking there) could be a distraction. For the team, that is - they're always a distraction for the media (and if there's one thing the Dutch footballers love as much as their accompanying typists, it's a distraction). Ghana camp enlivened this week with reports of a bust-up after Laryea Kingston was cut, so both teams appear ready for some early pre-World Cup self-destruction at Rotterdam.

Australia vs Denmark: In Johannesburg, Aussies will start Schwarzer and their preferred back four as Pim Verbeek starts to tighten the screws and names his final squad. Denmark got down to their final squad last week, but haven’t given a good run to Arsenal forward Nicklas Bendtner yet.

Portugal vs Cameroon: Now if there’s one team that needs a little less friendly and a little more nasty, it’s Portugal, after last week’s 0-0 draw with mighty colony Cape Verde. Samuel Eto’o, meantime, held out of the last game to boo-hoo his way to Les Lions Indomptables' captaincy, so he's long overdue for at least a run-out here. At Covilha.

Switzerland vs Costa Rica: Swiss haven't played a friendly since March. Costa Rica gave France a tussle last week. This one's at Sion, in Switzerland.

Morning headlines: Kicking the World Cup ball

We are getting close. The quadrennial moaning about the new adidas 'Jabulani' ball has started, right on schedule. First it was Hugo Lloris. Now Brazil, with Kaka in training, has barely arrived in South Africa and goalkeeper Julio Cesar is grousing, albeit with tongue in cheek. From the AP:

Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar is not happy with the ball that will be used during the World Cup, saying it looks like something from a "grocery store."
Cesar also called the Adidas ball "horrible" and "terrible".
The goalkeeper, who won the Champions League with Inter Milan last week, did not elaborate on his views of the lively ball.
Cesar said "they are always trying to make things difficult for the goalkeepers," and later joked that he has only himself to blame for choosing to play the position.

Today's factoid: At the mile-high altitude of Jo'burg's two stadiums, the ball will travel 5% faster than at sea level. That should really reassure Cesar's brethren between the sticks.

We'll be along in a bit with a look at this weekend's friendlies. Meantime, other items in the World Cup news include:

It was chaos today as remaining World Cup tickets were to go on sale in South Africa - and the computer system promptly broke down. Put that together with last night's glitches outside Soccer City stadium and it looks like there's still some work to do.

Lort! Denmark's phenom defender Simon Kjaer is on the limp. But he's still in the squad, as Morton Olsen keeps Kjaer in the final 23-man a day after he was stretchered off during Danes' 2-0 win over Senegal.

Key Greek defender Vassilis Torosidis has resumed training.

And Samuel Eto'o has two words for critics, including Roger Milla: "Shut up". That's the sanitized version, anyway.