World Cup All-Star team: What's yours?

The end of the World Cup is approaching and now comes that time when everybody starts to elect the players who will be part of the FIFA’s All Star team. Normally a lot of good players are left behind, because only 11 are selected, but since the national teams are comprised of 23 players, I will give it a shot and list my 23 top players:

Formation: 4-3-3 - The World Cup new formation trend is the 4-2-3-1, but offensive football.

Goalkeepers

IKER CASILLAS (Spain) – the best goaltender of this World Cup (maybe top 3 in the World)

Backups: MAARTEN STEKELENBURG (the Netherlands); RICHARD KINGSON (Ghana) ; LUISITO SUAREZ (Uruguay) – just kidding

Defenders

PHILIPP LAHM (Germany) – Small man with a big role reputation. Very strong defensive skills. (The Argentinean Di Maria had to play in the other side of the field, because Lahm wasn't allowing him to do so).

JOHN HEITINGA (the Netherlands) – A multi-task player given his ability to play at centre-back, full-back or as a holding midfielder (Perfect in the second half against Brazil)

LUCIO (Brazil) - the sheriff. (Brazil's greatest ever defenders).

ARNE FRIEDRICH (Germany) – Very consistent and classic defender with the ability to play right back as well as in the centre.

CARLES PUYOL (Spain) – Ferocious work and talented player.

Defenders Backups: MAICON (Brazil); SERGIO RAMOS (Spain); MOREL RODRIGUEZ (Paraguay)

Midfielders

BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER (Germany) – one of the best players of this World Cup. Classic, talented and elegant midfielder, very technical defensively and offensively.

WESLEY SNEIJDER (the Netherlands)* – the Netherlands' attacking keystone. (Main responsible to the historical victory over Brazil). Another good candidate for the World Cup best player prize.

MESUT ÖZIL (Germany) – a sprightly and technically gifted playmaker. The World Cup’s revelation player.

Midfielder Backups: THOMAS MÜLLER (Germany), DE JONG (the Netherlands) ; ANDRES INIESTA (Spain); LIONEL MESSI (Argentina)

Forwards

DAVID VILLA (Spain) – cold blood striker.(Running for the best player's prize as well).

MIROSLAV KLOSE (Germany) – A perfect pivot in the attack. Precise kicks.

ARJEN ROBBEN (the Netherlands) – Lethal left leg shot from the right corner of the box.

Attackers Backups: ROBINHO (Brazil) ; LANDON DONOVAN (USA)

Coach

JOACHIM LOEW (Germany) - his team didn't play well in the semi-final which was lethal for them, however Germany had a tremendous performance during this World Cup, tactically disciplined and perfectly executed.

Auxiliary Coach: BERT VAN MARWIJK (the Netherlands)

PS - I read the post and saw the pictures of my fellow bloggers at Real Sports Bar and it seems that they had a lot of fun. I wish I was there, but unfortunately I couldn't make it.

About Paulo Porto

I Called a Germany-Holland Final Months Ago

 
Klose  No Cigar. 

I cursed when I saw the schedule for the Argentina v. Germany match since it was scheduled while I was working in Hartford, CT. 

Instantly, my thoughts turned to the stereotypes of the Americans and soccer.  With them out of the tournament, I pictured nothing but baseball on televisions everywhere. My requests to see football might as well be for curling. 

Thankfully the matches are on regular cable here and the stereotype does not hold true.  But finding venues that have TVs that will show the game proved to be the issue.  For example, I was able to find a venue that had the games on at full volume, had free wifi and had an assortment of beers to choose from.

But once again I found myself in a Hooters.  As per my coverage of the USA match against Ghana, there were many Americans in attendance, but also a pack of Uruguayans.  Either there are Hooters in Uruguay, or they couldn't find a Chi-Chi's and figured this was the next best thing, name-wise anyway.

Being so far from The Musket and all the great German folks that I met in Toronto, I hoped I could find a similar venue where local people of German descent would gather to watch their team battle against Maradona's Argentina.  Again, I hoped.  One quick Google and I saw that 20 minutes away sat a place called "The German Club".  Already picturing sitting with another three generations of Germans, I called the club.  A woman with a New England accent answered.

"Hello?"
"Yes, hi.  I was wondering if you were going to have the German game on tomorrow."
"The what game?"
"The German game.  The match against Argentina."
"I don't know what that is."
"The World Cup game.  The soccer."
"Oh, yeah.  What time is that on?"
"10:00."
"Oh, yeah.  We'll have that on for sure.  We open at 9:00."
"So I just show up in the morning then?"

[pause]

"What time is the game?"
"10:00am."
"Oh.  No, sorry.  We don't open until 9:00pm."

[pause]

"You sure?"

Not even Hooters was going to open early for the game, not even enough Uruguayans interested in this game it seemed.  No German club.  No free wifi.  I resigned myself to the ABC coverage of the match at the condo, ESPN preferring to show bowling instead.

Now, I've become more and more a fan of the German side, but for this match, I'll say that I'm no fan of Maradona.  I've never liked him as a player.  In fact, I've always seen him as a paranoid vainglorious cheat.  Talent or not, I've never had much respect for the man.  And as such, with him at the reins of the national side, I like many were just waiting for the chaos to come.  He's dressing up now with a long flowing mane of hair, a dignified beard, but every time the camera pans on him at the sidelines, I always think he comes off looking like Super Mario's insurance-selling cousin.  That or a guy that just won the lottery and realized that he suddenly needed to buy a suit.

The sad part is I become slightly torn, with players the likes of Messi that I love to watch and wish to see do well.  But then there's Tevez, who I have absolutely no love for.  I also don't like that other toothy guy that signed with him at West Ham.  Whatever.  There are guys I like on Argentina, but there's way more on the German side that strike my fancy.

The match kicks off and the third minute sets the tone for the game as Müller connected a header on to a free kick and slotted past the dead-footed Argentinean keeper.  I instantly thought about the folks at The Musket, thinking that most of them wouldn't have had time to sit down with their beers yet and already they're out of their seats.  Remarkably, I don't think of Hooters.

With Argentina on the back foot, they go long patches attempting to break through the German midfield to no avail, allowing Germany to counter a few times but not find the net.  I half want Messi to bury one, but this game, like others in the tournament, is unable to put on the finishing touches expected of him.  His distribution succinct, but for the best footballer in the world, you'd expect him to bury goals and not Argentina's hopes.

In the 36th minute, Müller catches one of the worst yellow-card calls for a handball as seen yet in the tournament and misses what looks to be the next match as a result.  Next, up, Argentina would have scored had 36% of their team not been in an offside position.  Cut to Maradona, shielding his eyes, unable to look at the spectacle.

The second half starts with Argentina seeming to have been talked up by Maradona, their forwards rushing ahead but colliding hard with a very unforgiving German defence.  Their efforts appear to drop for nowt in the 68th minute as Klose scores to make it 2-0.  The pass from the slot tucks in behind the Argentinean defender and he side-foots it into goal.  The whole affair strikes me as offside, but no one appears to be complaining.  A quick shot to the Argentinean technical area shows Maradona scrambling about, looking like he left his answers to this somewhere.  Must be in the other suit.

Six minutes later, Germany score again and it's looking like the German match all over again.  Argentina are thoroughly beaten and are reminded of that as it all becomes academical in the 89th.  Germany make it their third four-goal game of the tournament.  With that win, every other country in the world's FAs begin firing up laptops and Googling the words "youth" and "system".

The final whistle blows and in the end, so does Argentina; their aged defence agape and their powerful strikers shown as impotent.  Speaking of which, I'm reminded that Maradona promised/threatened to run naked if Argentina won the tournament.  Thank you Germany for helping to keep his privates private.

By the way, I have been calling for a Germany-Holland final since before the games started.  Just sayin'...

About Todd Van Allen

South America’s Tournament

Much has been said of the success of South American teams in this World Cup and with good reason. Now, after all Round of 16 matches are over and we know all the matchups for the quarter finals, it’s safe to say that regardless of what happens next or who ends up lifting the Cup on July 11th it’s been a great year and a great tournament for South America.

All five South American teams competing in the tournament made it out of the group stages. Four of those teams also finished first in their respective groups, and every quarter finals game has a South American representative, the first time that has ever happened in a World Cup. That means there could be an all-South American semi-finals and/or an all-South American final.

Paraguay already made history by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time, and Uruguay hadn’t made it this far in a World Cup since 1970. Chile is the only South American team that is already out of the Cup, but they have a lot to be proud of after showing a lot of exciting football.

I hope this is no World Cup “fluke” and South American football futbol is back at the world stage to stay. And the timing couldn’t be better: after an absence of more than 30 years, the next World Cup will be played in South America.

Now back to counting the minutes until Saturday at 10:00am ET, when Argentina will take on Germany, and to hoping we will have one all-Spanish-spoken semi-final between Argentina and either Spain or Paraguay.

Alejandro Rossano

World Cup predictions for DUMMIES

There is one off-the-pitch scene of the Beautiful Game that has only been touched upon once (I think) by my fellow bloggers  - predictions. 

They can sometimes be as wrong as can be, but they still fascinate football fans everywhere.

Forget Nostradamus, who is well known for his predictions for range of worldly events, people and places. Football predictors both humans and non-humans take their art very seriously.

Now that the stakes are high for both the teams and for the respective fans of the quarter-finalists match ups for this year's FIFA World Cup:

Uruguay vs Ghana

Germany vs Argentina

Netherlands vs Brazil

Paraguay vs Spain

Let's take a look at some of these predictions, predictors and some methods used to make these predictions - to make your footballing watching experience even more exciting, why not try some of this interactive methods for yourself.

WARNING: Pro-line players, addicts you did not hear this from me OK. Bet at your own risk. I don't want you go pawn your treasured grandfather's clock.

Do not ask me how, but somehow Octopus Paul of the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany, has an uncanny talent for predicting World Cup Winners. Paul predicts by placing shells in designated boxes or getting into the winning team's box.

How many of us would have predicted Germany being upset by Serbia, especially after merciless trashing of Australia??

Octopus Paul did! - 

In fact, The Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in Germany reports Paul has predicted World Cup winners with 100% accuracy so far.

Mmmmh....Quick defeat indeed.

Paul's pick for Sunday game? A German win. Really Paul?

WARNING: Pro-line players, addicts you did not hear this from me OK. Bet at your own risk. I don't want you go pawn your treasured grandmothers's crockpot.

In England, they’ve gone a little more high tech. The Mirror newspaper used the Football Manager video game to simulate the match, which ended in a 3-2 England win. Gerrard got two, Rooney one for England, while Germany’s reply came through Thomas Mueller and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

We all know who came on top on their prediction: Paul the Octopus.

Way long - back in the days in Tanzania, there was a intriguing method of predicting football matches:

Two flags of opposing teams would be hosted at an open area, side by side by their respective supporters and each side would put a frankincense burners under the flags. Most of the time the flags were of Simba and Yanga, country's two major clubs and traditional rivals both based in Dar-es-salaam.

Fans of two clubs from all over the city would flock the area known as 'Kariakoo,' an uptown suburb to burn the frankincense, the aromatic gum native to East Africa and Middle East formerly used for worship.

The outcome of the game would depend on which team had burned more frankincense, under the team's flag post. Hundreds of shillings worth of frankincense would burn while the game is played and listened to on the radio-there was no TV broadcast of the matches in those days. The fans danced, cheered and also taunted each other. Some big shots and businessmen would also visit briefly to burn the aromatic substance hoping for better luck for their teams.

And then there is Sheikh Yahya Hussain, a renowned East African astrologer who claims to even have Pele himself visit him for the outcome of some matches he was involved in. His method is mathematical one:

He takes the numerical value of an alphabet letter plus the date of the match. The team numeric value that divides by two is the winner. Let's try one:

Let's take Spain VS Portugal

The first letter in 'Spain' is 'S' the numerical value of the letter 'S' is 19 alphabetically.

For 'Portugal' is letter 'P' numerical value of 'P' is 16 alphabetically.

Lets see if 'Spain' can be divided by 2, after adding Tuesday's date, the 29th. (note  if the first letters of both teams you are trying to predict divide by two, then  take the second letter, add the first letter's value+date to get your prediction) if that number does not divide 2 keep on going until you get one team's number that divides by 2 . The team that has the odd number that does not divide by 2 is the loser.

SPAIN = 19 (numeric value of 'S') +29 (Tuesday's date) = 48 Can be divided by 2

Now let's see Portugal

Portugal = 16 (numeric value of 'P') +29 (Tuesday's date) = 45 Can not divided by two - we all know Portugal sent home on Tuesday after being eliminated by Spain. Simple!! try it.

Let's do Germany vs Argentina

G = 7+3 (Match date)= 10

A=1+3 (Match date)= 4

Both can be divided by two, so we take the second letter from each team add the first letter's numeric value then add the date value.

G+E=7+5=12+3 (Match date) = 15

A+R=1+18=19+3 (Match day 3rd July) = 22

Sorry Octopus Paul - Bye Bye Germany. 15 is an odd number that can't be divided by two.

Good Luck!

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine not very long pondering the state of Canadian Football. How Canada, with all the mosaic of people from all over the planet and the footballing world has a potential to be a football powerhouse. Yet football seems to have an awfully hard time to take off in the country.

May be similar off-the-pitch football antics could be the answer to our football blues.

About Khalid Magram

Argentina: Fans celebrate at "El almacen"

Argentina got through to the next round and it is set for another rematch of the 2006 World Cup quarter finals between Argentina and Germany.

The final score was Argentina 3 Mexico 1, but like it usually happens in sports, that tells only part of the story.

If you read any post-game article, watched the highlights or if you have seen the game, you already know: the first Tevez goal was off-side not seen by the referee or his assistant. The second goal came after a defensive mistake by Mexico, although the finish by Higuain was perfect and he deserves all the credit for that. The third goal was a beautiful strike from outside the area by Tevez, one of the best goals of the World Cup so far.

(Young fans discuss the game at half time at "El Almacen" on Queen Street West)

 

Argentina and Germany won under similar circumstances, with some controversial calls and help from the referees they really didn’t need. Also, they both got the benefit of defensive mistakes. Argentina again showed issues at the back and keeper position.

But also no one can deny they were the better teams in their respective matches, they deserve to go to the next round, and they will face each other on what it has everything to be another World Cup classic.

 

Watch some fans celebrating on St Clair West.
 

About Alejandro Rossano

Best ... 1st round ... ever!!!

For the first wave of matches, there were complaints about things like the vuvuzelas (That would be a cool band name), special children saying that "1 + 1 = Butterflies" and not 2, the Jabulani/Zamboni/Pastrami Ball, a misalignment of Neptune with Mars and a general lack of goals.

Then the drama started with all the upsets in this World Cup. I cannot think of a World Cup in the last 40 years where so many favourites and European teams started so badly or conversely where so many "No-Name" teams played so well. If anyone told me that New Zealand (!) would be undefeated at the end of the first round ... I would have asked you for some of what you were smoking ... cause it surely would have been good.

If someone had predicted that both France and Italy would have CRASHED out of the World Cup without winning a single match ... I would have said that you were dreaming in Technicolor.

Oh how I wished I was on College St Thursday to see the shattered dreams, to know that every time Slovakia scored, an angel wept in joy. Even though the Italians scored the best goal of the WC so far with Fabio Quagliarella's 91st minute finesse, it was too little, too late.

There has been a lot of other drama in this first round also. As much as the world hates to see Americans do well in football, you couldn't help but rise to your feet when watching the US v Slovenia match ... just brilliant drama! 

As for the English and their hopeful "Barmy Army", there was nothing in Rooney & Co's first round performance that suggests that the English could overcome yet another meeting with their Argentine nemesis in the quarterfinals, provided that they were to possibly beat Germany.

Right now, we are on for possibly the greatest final ever ... Brazil v Argentina for all the marbles. My fingers, toes and future children's toes will be crossed in the hope of witnessing this possible miracle, as I am sure millions of Argentines are walking, thumbing those rosaries to death, while millions of Brazilians are happy digesting their Feijoada and Flan in anticipation of this event.

While this is all happening, let's not forget the second coming of the Spanish Inquisition, if "Las Furias Rojas" doesn't beat Chile by more goals than Switzerland is expected to beat Honduras by. The Spanish are also teetering on the Italian/French precipice!

I guess Spain can no longer be considered as the leader in the Choker World Cup standing ... and if they did choke, they aren't the abject failures that the French and Italian football teams were.

About Rishi Sankar

Argentina's anthem (South Africa 2010 version)

I’m not sure if it’s me, but so far it seems to me that as games went on for Argentina I heard less of the vuvuzuelas buzzing and more people chanting. I haven’t seen every single game, but from the ones I’ve seen so far the only ones I noticed that the chants eclipse the vuvuzuelas (at least when the action on the field is exciting) are the ones Argentina played.

Or maybe I just got used to them.

Of course that doesn’t mean anything, but I wanted to use that as an excuse to publish here the anthem of Argentina as it’s being sung by the fans before the game. If you have seen any of the games from Argentina (and you are not from Argentina, if you are I wouldn’t have to tell you this!) you may have noticed that the fans are singing a “stadium” version of the anthem that resembles a soccer chant.

But better than explaining it, is hearing it (this is from a TV commercial):

YouTube - Publicidad Quilmes Mundial Himno
 

In other news, Messi turns 23 today. On Tuesday against Greece, Messi wore the Captain armband and became the youngest Argentinian to be named the team’s skipper (regular captain Javier Mascherano did not play). Happy birthday Lio!

On my last post I mentioned that it would be hard for someone that doesn’t know the background story of Martin Palermo (who scored a late goal to seal the victory against Greece) to understand what that goal meant. He was actually the cover story on the Argentinaan newspapers after the win, you can read thispost from ESPN Soccernet where a real reporter explains it.

About Alejandro Rossano

Argentina: Meaning of Maradona

I don’t even know where to start…Argentina ended up winning their 3 first matches of the World Cup but the last game against Greece was looking as if the goal was not going to come for Argentina.

Argentina tried, Greece defended with everything they got, but with 12 minutes left Demichelis finally broke the 0 – 0 score. I actually thought the goal it might not come and it would be a draw. Silly me.

The final score was 2 – 0 for Argentina, and the last goal was scored by Martin Palermo. He became the oldest scorer for Argentina in the World Cup at 36 years old and also the oldest debutant to ever score in a World Cup.

I don’t think that someone that is not from Argentina could understand the meaning of that goal. Maradona was heavily criticized for including Palermo in the final 23 players (also for bringing too many strikers). He earned a spot in the roster after scoring a critical goal during the qualifiers but it always looked as if Maradona was the only one that truly believed in him.

In a post game interview Maradona said he had asked his assistants who should go in with 10 minutes left and they all said “Higuain”. “Bring me Martin then” Maradona replied.

“Go and close this out” Maradona said he told Martin Palermo.

So that is definitely the story on the Argentinian newspapers. Check here for a summary of the game.

Today (Tuesday) I checked the sports section of the online edition of The Star like I do every day just to find Argentina (specifically Maradona) on the main page as the featured article for the first time since I can remember. I hope soon the team will be the cover story of the sports section…but for now enjoy the article here.

Next up: Against Mexico on Sunday, a rematch of the last World Cup round of 16.

About Alejandro Rossano

World Cup Déjà Vu

Due presumably to this morning's thunderstorm and the inconvenient schedule I ended up watching the Mexico-Uruguay game in an empty pub over a cup of coffee and Irish breakfast, which I couldn't finish after losing my appetite two minutes before half-time.  As I sat among the empty tables of the Brazen Head staring at the television I started thinking about previous world cups and the many similarities between them and the current World Cup in South Africa.

The most notable of these similarities lies in the grouping of teams in England 1966 and South Africa 2010.  Forty-four years ago, Group 1 was also composed of the host nation (England), Uruguay, France, and Mexico.  In that occasion England and Uruguay advanced while Mexico took the third spot of the group.  Today Mexico came close to dropping to that third place again.  Fortunately for all of us Mexican followers, that was not the case and Mexico will play the round of 16.

The next and most obvious resemblance is Mexico's rival in the next stage of the tournament: Argentina.  Four years ago in Germany Mexico advanced as second place with one win, one draw and one loss (huh...) to face Argentina and be defeated with the best goal of that World Cup.  I will not make any predictions on whether Mexico can change the outcome and be the one to score that decisive goal on Sunday because we all know what happens with my predictions (and if you don't just read my entry from last night).

In my humble opinion, the most unfortunate similarity to previous world cups is the reappearance of Oscar Perez (last seen in Korea-Japan 2002 under the management of Javier Aguirre) and that of Guillermo Franco (called to Germany 2006 by Antonio Lavolpe).  It is disappointing to see coaches ignoring the past and repeating these kind of mistakes.  I am aware that Aguirre is the coach and he is the one who makes decisions (as he so frequently reminds everyone), but simply due to curiosity I have tried to understand his reasoning and the only explanation that seems logical is that of a very strong friendship with the mentioned players.  In any case, I hope they can prove me wrong on Sunday and surprise the world with a positive result against the Argentinians. 

Meeting spot for Argentina fans in South Africa

There are a lot of Argentina fans in South Africa, like in every World Cup. One of the team's sponsors set up a "mobile bar" that follows the team wherever they play so fans can meet up before the games.

Check out a video of the "mobile bar" taken before Argentina's first game against Nigeria:

About Alex Rossano