Cup Crazy - 20 June

It's Day 12 and we've moved on to the final games in the group stage. Not many surprises today, but still plenty of talking points. Brian likes to talk, so away he goes...

Hosts Prove Me Wrong - At Least So Far
No, I'm not talking about finally finding a very attractive German girl in the crowd, but rather the good play of the German team. Going into this World Cup, I wasn't shy about the fact that I didn't fancy Germany in this tournament. So far, I have been dead wrong. Granted, they were given an easy group. But they haven't just won their games, but they've played with an attacking flair we've rarely seen in a German side. The defense is still suspect, but they've improved since making a few giant blunders against Costa Rica. I didn't think Klose could duplicate his World Cup 2002 performance, but he's playing even better now than he did in Japan and Korea. What's most impressive about this team is the play of the midfield. The Germans are steady on the ball, pass well, and can attack down the middle or down the wing. Today, Ecuador never really threatened the Germans, and the hosts coasted to a comfortable 3-0 win. Well played, Germany. Now, can you make it count in the Round of 16?

Can Ecuador Bounce Back?
The Ecuadorians had been coasting in this tournament until they were soundly beaten today by Germany. The big question now is if Ecuador can bounce back against one of the favorites, England, in the Round of 16. Ecuador rested leading scorer Augustin Delgado today, and he'll be raring to go against the English. If Ecuador has one main weakness, it's in midfield, where they have trouble at times stringing passes together. The English are even worse at that, so don't write off Ecuador to make the quarterfinals.

More Unimpressive Stuff from Group B
England and Sweden played to a 2-2 draw today that highlighted both teams' weaknesses than showed off their strengths. England played its best football of the World Cup in the first half, but that's not saying much. Owen Hargreaves did well for himself in the holding role, and having a holding midfielder seemed to stabilize the England midfield. Lampard again was dangerous, and Joe Cole once again was the best player in an England shirt. His goal in the first half was sublime. Once again, the attack down the right was non-existent, as Beckham was marginalized to just set piece duty. Rooney, in his first start, was ineffective, although he didn't get much service (he did throw one heck of a temper tantrum after being subbed out, however). Owen might be lost for the tournament with a knee injury, and his replacement Crouch didn't do much. Worryingly, England gave up two bad goals from set pieces. Becks forgot to mark Allback, who scored on a free header. Late in the game, Sweden equalized when Terry and company misplayed a throw in. So, lots of room for improvement for the Three Lions. Sven dropped the ball by not inserting Walcott or Lennon once Owen got hurt. But we've come to expect that from Sven. As for Sweden, they should be very tough for the Germans to break down. The one big question is if they can create enough scoring chances. Hopefully they'll have Ibrahimovich back - he was missed today.

Swedish Fan of the Day
Again, not many candidates today. But our winner today is Elsa from Malmo. While we're generally in favor of less clothing on our Fan of the Day, we like any gal who can take some guff from drunken English fans and smile through it. Welcome to Bookable Offense, Elsa!


Early Thoughts on the Round of 16
We've already got some intriguing matchups. England and Germany will be glad to avoid each other. The English have a potential banana-skin in front of them with Ecuador. Ecuador has been dangerous in front of goal, albeit against lesser opponents. England has yet to show that it can play a complete game. This one could be a nail-biter. Germany-Sweden should be an excellent affair. The Swedes are a very difficult team to beat, and will not be intimidated by the hosts. The key for the Swedes is being able to absorb the German attack and catch the German defense on the break. Predictions to come this weekend.

Tomorrow's Predictions
A so-so day for me today. I picked both of the games no one cared about, but missed on Germany-Ecuador and Sweden-England. Let's see if I can do better tomorrow:

Iran 1, Angola 1
Portugal 2, Mexico 0
Cote d'Ivoire 2, Serbia-Montenegro 1
Argentina 3, Netherlands 2

Goodnight now.

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