England’s short stay in South Africa came to an embarrassing end yesterday afternoon. They did not have to endure the heartache of an exit via penalties, but they did get their inevitable controversial moment to hide behind, a moment that will no doubt be used to try and deflect the fact that England have been ten levels below substandard since topping their qualifying group back in October. Whether Lampard’s goal was given or not is irrelevant, England were completely out-thought, out-played and simply out-classed by a young inexperienced German side.

“That goal” has reignited the clamour for the use of technology. Video replays are needed in Football to clear up marginal – matter of fact decisions – such as did the ball cross the line, however only two people out of the millions watching failed to see the ball bounce behind the line in Bloemfontein. If the technology was in place yesterday no referee with more than half a functioning eye would’ve needed to refer to the video referee. It is one of the most horrendous errors I have seen made and hope that Jorge Larrionda and his stooges are sent home just as swiftly as the England squad have been.

The Mexicans also fell victim to comedy officiating in Johannesburg, Carlos Tevez was so far offside for the Argentines first goal he was in a different time zone. If that was level to the linesman I’d love to see him put up a shelf. Extra salt was poured in the wounds when the goal was replayed on the big screen. All in all it was a day for the officials to forget, which they seem to be able to do with relative ease – apparently there are plus sides for not having a soul.

There were also reports of a fault with the fourth official’s board during the England Germany encounter, on 71 minutes with England needing three goals Emile Heskeys’ number was inadvertently flashed up forcing a bemused Jermaine Defoe off the field. That just capped another forgettable display in England’s wretched history of forgettable displays.

The group stages have concluded and now we can all look forward to good old fashioned knockout Football. What this World Cup has provided us so far has been, well, a bit baffling really, it has provided little in the way of genuine thrills and excitement but a huge amount of intrigue. It has been engrossing and most importantly it has provided some genuine surprises.

Group A was the setting for the demise of the French, no heart, no passion, no cohesion, spats, rows and fallouts equalled one point for Les Bleus and a shameful early flight home. Henry should’vedone the world a favour and kept his hand by his side. Uruguay and Mexico qualified from the group with relative ease, both sides have shown through some assured displays that they are more than capable of having a successful run in this World Cup. It was such a disappointment not to see the South Africans get through, maybe naivety, nerves and a little bit of expectation got the better of them, particularly against the Uruguayans, yet their performances either side of that game were impressive and it was a shame not to see the host nation progress. The South African squad, unlike the French, can hold their heads high.

Argentina somewhat strolled through Group B, winning all three games, as impressive as that looks on paper there do appear to be a few cracks in the Argentinean side, particularly at the back. As yet you couldn’t really put them down as nailed on finalists. South Korea qualified as runners up, they are a well organised outfit and create plenty of openings going forward, they make for a tricky opposition. Elsewhere in Group B Greece were Greece and Nigeria were bitterly disappointing, their campaign will only be remembered for Yakubu’s astonishing miss against the Koreans.

The USA claimed top spot in Group C with virtually the last kick of the group, securing a berth in arguably the easier side of the draw. It was no less than the Americans deserved, particularly after clawing their way back from two nil down in their previous match to claim a vital point. England finished runners up, after being vilified for their part in two drab draws they secured qualification with a One nil victory over Slovenia, England may live to regret not converting more of their chances, they now face a tricky route through the knockouts. Far from being spectacular Algeria and Slovenia ensured that qualification for the US and England was not as comfortable as many imagined it would be.

The ever efficient Germans got their World Cup off to a flying start, breezing past an awful Australian side in a four nil rout. That German efficiency went missing in game two when they fell to a one nil defeat at the hands of Serbia. Group D   like most groups was wide open going into the final round of matches. A one goal victory against the Ghanaians clinched top spot for Joachim Low’s men. Ghana finished second, salvaging some pride for what has been a poor World Cup for the African nations. To be fair there wasn’t much between the three sides that finished below the Germans, the Australians were vastly improved after their first display and the Serbs looked well organised and difficult to beat. It was Ghana’s win in their first game which proved how crucial it is to get points on the board as early as possible.

The Dutch waltzed to 9 points in Group E without even having to get out of second gear. Japan finished a thoroughly deserving second. Denmark and Cameroon were quite frankly awful in what was possibly the dullest group of the tournament. The Indomitable Lions, for me, have been the let down of 2010 so far.

Group F was home to the shock of the Tournament, Italy not only failed to qualify but finished bottom of their group. On the back of two lacklustre draws no one expected the Italians to fall short again in their last match. You have to credit the Slovakians for playing with such belief, it has to be the game of the tournament so far, and in contrast to the French, despite their shocking start the Italians fought all the way in their final game and very nearly pulled off a great escape in the dying seconds. Special mention must go to New Zealand, to finish undefeated in a group containing the Azzurri, Paraguay and Slovakia is some achievement for the All Whites and it is a shame three sides could not progress from Group F because no one would begrudge them 90 more minutes of World Cup Football.

Brazil finished top of the pile in Group G with Portugal qualifying as runners up. The Ivory Coast were another African disappointment and the North Koreans went from terrific to terrible in three games. Brazil look strong, their two defensive midfielders play a priceless role and have so far been fantastic, if their more creative colleagues hit form then the boys from Brazil will be the team to beat.

In the final group Chile continued to wave the South American flag proudly. They played with the freedom and expression expected from Group favourites Spain. The Spanish did not buck the trend of struggling European sides, leaving qualification to the last game after a less than convincing start, but they did manage to turn things around and claim top spot. Switzerland were their normal no nonsense selves, set up not to lose and not to be pleasing on the eye. I would like to say the Hondurans did more than just make up the numbers, sadly I can’t.

As the World Cup heads into stage two a lot of teams will try to forget their struggles in the group stages. This is the business end of the tournament and it’s game one as far as they are concerned, if you slip up now you don’t get another chance to set things right. There is still no real favourite, results wise it has been one of the most unpredictable World Cups so far, one thing we know is that every side is beatable. The form book was thrown out of the window during the group stages, and there’s no indication that will change in the knockouts.

As the final group stage matches begin today, the process of figuring out which teams will advance to the round of 16 may not be as clear cut as you might think. After a bit of math and guess work, you may assume that point or extra goal scored could in fact be enough to see your team through. What you failed to realize is that the team behind you in your group is in fact level on all the other variables FIFA use to determine who advances from the group stage. As terrible as it could be, your team could in fact be eliminated by a painful drawing of lots.

Current standings in 6 of the 8 groups are quite close and in actuality could see a few teams finish level on points, goal differential and goals scored which could result in a team being eliminated by a drawing of lots (FIFA’s World Cup regulations, article 39) for the first time in World Cup history.

Since 1958, replays and playoffs have been used to settle scores between teams who have finished level. Things changed in 1990 when the four best 3rd place teams advanced which saw Holland and the Republic of Ireland finish level on points, goal differential and goals scored. Ireland won the drawing of lots and so advanced to play Romania while Holland were awarded third and so had to play eventual winners West Germany in the next round - a game they of course lost. Holland weren’t eliminated directly by the draw, but definitely got the short end of the stick.

To clear up the rules today, total points scored come first in deciding who advances out of the group followed by goal differential then total goals scored. If teams are still level, then head to head records will come into play. If teams remain level still, then the greater number of goals scored in all group matches between the teams involved is used, and finally, if teams are still level, FIFA will draw lots.

The current groups in question that could come down to the drawing of lots are A, C, D, F, G and H. Although the odds do in fact point to clear cut winners, the use of the rarely used draw would be an incredible story to follow and one World Cup fans wouldn’t soon forget.

Leave a comment below about how you would feel if your team either advanced or were eliminated by the drawing of lots.

When Siphiwe Tshabalala gloriously fired home the first goal of the World Cup it looked like we had a tournament on our hands. Unfortunately, France and Uruguay took to the pitch straight afterwards and in a heartbeat the previous match was a distant memory, I can’t remember the last time I watched a game that was so bad it hurt to watch it.

Day one pretty much set the tone for the rest of the opening matches. There has been excitement; there has been hints of brilliance. But so far the dull is outweighing the delightful, that could be down to many things – first game nerves, or it could be down to the ball which has been much complained about. A lot of passes are being over hit, the shooting so far has been so woeful it’s causing more problems for low flying aircraft than goalkeepers.

England’s Rob Green tried to shift some of the blame onto the Jabulani after his howler against the US. Green has come in for some stick from the forever fickle British press, but Captain Steven Gerrard came out and said that “the whole team is behind Rob Green”, in hindsight that would’ve been a good place to stand. On a serious note I hope Capello sticks with Green, if he drops him you may as well send him home as his confidence will be shot, and knowing our luck, Fabio will drop him then injury and suspension will lead to a recall and we’ll have a quivering wreck between the sticks. The entire furore over that incident completely covered the fact that a draw wasn’t a disaster for either side, and both should really qualify with ease.

The football so far hasn’t been up to much in the excitement stakes, but Holland, Brazil, Argentina and Germany have shown glimpses of things to come, on the flip side North Korea and Switzerland amongst others, have shown that you can get amongst the big boys, and that a shock is always on the cards.

The vuvuzela’s are set to stay, they do add to the atmosphere but you’d think that those incessantly blowing into them would take a break from time to time, if anything to clean out the massive amount of saliva that must get collected. Let someone bang a drum from time to time or maybe even have a bit of a sing song. That swarming drone wears thin over ninety minutes. The vuvuzela’s were given a stay of execution but thirty-six Dutch girls in matching dresses were not, they were ejected during Mondays match between Holland and Denmark as the dresses in question were part of a gift pack from a brewery, in an act of “Ambush Marketing”. It was a good spot to notice identical Orange outfits in amongst the thousands of Dutch fans. The real plus side in this story is that ITV viewers no longer have to listen to Robbie Earle’s less than lame attempts at punditry, as it was Earle’s ticket allocation that got the Orange ladies into the ground. All we need now is a similar plot to remove Andy Townsend and ITV may become mildly watchable again.

In a short while all eyes will once again be on hosts South Africa as they take on Uruguay. Three points for Bafana Bafana would boost their chances of making the last sixteen. Whatever the result let’s hope that this is the game that proves a catalyst for the rest of the competition.

Back once again for Sunday’s late game which see’s the German side look to have another good World Cup campaign,  but Australia stand in their way and have enough quality to get the win. I do write these live and spell check when I have a chance, but you may have to excuse some of my spelling and punctuation today as I appear to be suffering from a hangover, after a Saturday night I can barely remember. I certainly don’t remember England’s goal, as thanks to ITV half the country missed it. As ever, comments are welcome and you can follow me on twitter @clusks. Have to get that plug in there:

- The media in England today are all focusing on Rob Green, instead of considering that we got a point against our hardest group opponent, disgraceful really but the sad thing is that loads of people in England buy into this. I’ve also seen a lot of people criticize Emile Heskey, despite the fact he was a goal threat unlike the anonymous Rooney and got us an assist. But of course – he’s just a donkey isn’t he? He didn’t score therefore a rubbish performance! I’m hoping that Rob Green isn’t the scapegoat for England if they go out the World Cup.

- ITV have Edgar Davids, Kevin Keegan and Patrick Viera in the studio. Edgar Davids has the world’s biggest glasses on, he looks a bit like Harry Potter, or if anyone has seen The Wire, he looks like that guy that comes along called Brother something (if anyone can tell me his name please do so!). I didn’t know this, but John Travolta has been hanging about with the Australia team – nobody is quite sure why, but he has a terrible touch of the ball. I’d keep it on the hush Australia.

- Just seen Marcel Desailly’s celebration to Ghana’s goal – he just started shouting out about things like chickens and goats, he was loving it though. North Korea are a bizarre team, on the first day ITV showed them training in a local gym with regular people in at the same time, and now we’ve seen them perform some strange training routine where they all stand in a line while one performs a diving header on the floor through everybody’s legs. Then one player got hit in the lower region. I can’t wait to see them play, did you know Kim Jong Il has refused for the tournament to be broadcast in North Korea unless the team win the cup. What a shame, someone might tell them that they’ve won before they’ve seen it.

- Key man: Well ITV have done very little actual analysis of the game, but that won’t stop me as the national anthems are belted out (I love Germany’s!). Klose is a danger man, but I’ve took a shine to Ozil this season and he looks like a great player in this youthful Germany squad. Tim Cahill starts as a centre forward and it will be interesting to see how that works, as he loves to score from deep as opposed to playing up top.

- Germany…? I don’t see many German’s out there. This will suit Australia, they’re used to playing a load of South African’s in the England cricket team. Australia are massive outsiders here at 6/1, I’m surprised they’re that long but it as an old squad against a team that always plays well at World Cup’s.

Kick Off!

2 Mins: Australia decided to have a go from the kick off to show that they won’t park the bus and they’re here to play!

3 Mins: Panic in the German defence from an Australia corner. It’s headed towards goal and cleared out only to Tim Cahill whose shot is blocked by Lahm, Garcia then has a chance which he should have done better with. It’s not 6/1 anymore!

7 Mins: Australia try to play too fast and in the end Klose get’s a good chance but his shot is poor and straight at Mark Schwarzer, Muller put’s the ball back in but Podolski’s shot is deflected for a corner.

8 Mins: GOAL! PODOLSKI! The Germans are here! Muller is onside as he breaks away just inside the box. He pulls the ball back, which is behind Klose, from the left side of the screen Podolski runs in and blasts the ball which is too hot to handle for Schwarzer. Oh how great it must be to be a German football fan…

12 Mins: Correct me if i’m wrong, but I think that’s the first time we’ve seen a yellow card for diving in this World Cup as Ozil tries to show he’s a true German by tumbling to the floor looking for the free kick.

17 Mins: Germany are looking by far the most impressive team in the World Cup so far. They’re spreading the play well and Podolski just put in a cross that was caught by Schwarzer, but there were around three players waiting for the ball. Take notice – Germany could be playing England or the USA…

19 Mins: A decent chance for Australia. A cross in to Culina is a difficult header due to pressure from Lahm, and it goes over, but Australia still pose a threat here. Ah, there’s former Newcastle United defender Craig Moore. I know this guy – stick all your money on Germany now.

20 Mins: Another half chance for Australia, as Emerton slides the ball through to Garcia, whose first touch is poor so he decides to just have a crack at it anyway and it’s gone high and wide. After their early chance, Australia haven’t offered much else in terms of making the Germans panic.

23 Mins: Muller has made himself familiar towards the end of this season and he’s in my books one of the top three young players in the world right now. He loves to get out onto the wings and on this occasion, after receiving the ball from a quick free kick, he attempted to drill it across the goal and nobody could reach it. They look so dangerous every time they get forward.

25 Mins: Ozil is tearing Australia apart here, he plays a beautiful ball into Podolski who passes across goal – Klose is free in the area and hit’s his shot first time but it’s poor. A real chance for the Germans to double their lead.

27 Mins: GOAL! KLOSE! If he’s not careful he’s going to break Ronaldo’s scoring record! Lahm play’s in a cross from about half way in the Australian half, and there is panic at the back for Australia, as a lack of communication between defender and keeper see’s Schwarzer come for a ball he was never  going to get near and an easy goal for Klose. Germany might end up like their bitter rivals the Netherlands – play amazing and then slip up at the vital moment. Although that’s hardly the German way. 2-0.

31 Mins: All too easy for Germany again. Klose plays a delicate ball into Ozil who is onside, and a bad first touch see’s Ozil attempt to dink the ball past Schwarzer, but Lucas Neil is able to clear the ball for a corner before his side find themselves in a real mess.

35 Mins: Well Australia get the ball forward, but Wilkshire’s ball goes behind Tim Cahill who has struggled in this game. Not much is working for them at the moment and the German’s might as well be laughing while they play.

38 Mins: ITV commentator has just said “Muller has made Wilkshire look like a mug”.

39 Mins: Ozil again plays a great ball into Lahm on the right wing, but it’s a somewhat powerful cross that is met by the head of Klose, who can only put it over. Looks like I got my key man prediction spot on, which is surprising considering I’ve not won one bet I’ve put on this World Cup.

41 Mins: Again and again. This time it’s Podolski who passes to Ozil, and the midfielder attempts to round Schwarzer but his first touch is too heavy and goes out of play. The only nation at the World Cup so far that have nothing to worry about.

- As an Englishman this is the first time I can really remember seeing an Australian sports team really struggle. This is a weird feeling.

46 Min: Just the one added minute here, I don’t know what the Australian manager can say at half time. He must be mortified at this. I’d definitely be giving the hairdryer treatment to a lot of those players.

Half Time!

- Nothing. Absolutely nothing I can say to that. Apart from Germany are amazing. Craig Moore is a top trending topic on twitter @fakebenbuckley jokes “Craig Moore lacks the testicular fortitude to play for Australia”. Harsh, but I won’t deny I laughed. Also I’ve just seen Brescia and Torino are playing in Italy right now – what’s all that about?

- Speaking of Italy, I can’t wait to watch them tomorrow, Cannavaro’s still got it, and has recently moved to a Qatari club, saying it was a “dream come true”. Of course, we all dream of hailing the mighty Qatar leagues some day. Maybe he meant it’s a dream come true to earn a truck load of money. Also, Lippi broke my heart a bit by not calling up my preferred Italy squad. No Totti – no party!

- Also I’m wondering if I’m the only person in England, but I’m getting sick of seeing James Corden’s face in everything football related. We get it – you like football.

Second Half Kick Off!

45 Mins: No surprise to see Australia make a change to suggest they’re going to attack. Brett Holman is on for Grella and Australia make a promising start to the second half.

48 Mins: A penalty claim which got a big shout from the Australians, the ball hit’s Mertesacker’s hand although it’s a tough one to call. Some would of given it, some wouldn’t and on this occasion it’s not a penalty.

51 Mins: Breaking news! Australia threaten the Germany goal! Brett Holman, the substitute has a decent shot that see’s Neuer scramble across his goal, but it’s gone wide. Still, it’s been all Australia in the start to this second half; the German’s are having an extended half time break.

54 Mins: Lovely play from Lahm, Podolski and Muller. They link up well and Lahm plays a pass which is stepped over, but Muller gets his shot wrong and it goes over the bar.

- I was watching the Serbia V Ghana game earlier and the Serbia manager looks like someone but I can’t quite get the name. I thought it was like a Serbian Steve Bruce, but my brother dismissed it. It will plague me until I get it, any suggestions are welcome.

56 Mins: SENT OFF! CAHILL! The ref has got it wrong. A bad tackle sure, but a red card was a little harsh on the Everton player. Is this the first time ever in the World Cup all three games in one day have had a sending off? Four already for the tournament, the officials want us all to get along nicely it would appear. That’s pretty much killed the game off, the rest of this blog is going to be a grind…

59 Mins: It depends how attacking Germany want to stay now, as Klose has another shot which is saved by Schwarzer.

60 Mins: Another Klose shot, another Schwarzer save, he gets the ball back and attempts to play in Khedira who claims for a penalty as he misses the ball. Big shout, not sure though. What a wonderful German name – Khedira.

61 Mins: Podolski shot – Schwarzer save. I might just keep updating like this from now on with this shot a minute policy.

- Please follow the very funny @sportsoffensive who has this to say on the matter of the sending off, “Well done ref. Looking like a Latin American dance instructor clearly wasn’t getting you enough attention”.

- With no more Cahill is this the end for the Aussies? Ghana will be favourites to go through with the Germans now.

66 Mins: It was Higuain yesterday, its Klose today. Another chance missed by the big man, as he and Podolski link up well , but he can’t quite get the ball out from under his feet as he attempts to hit it first time and it goes wide. Klose could be coming off to be rested here.

68 Mins: GOAL! MULLER! The young man has his first World Cup goal, and he’s deserved it, he’s been brilliant. Very composed as he dummies Chipperfield who’s sliding tackling is in vein and then hit’s a shot past Schwarzer where the ball hits the post before nestling into the back of the net. All three of the front men for Germany have a goal, and Klose is coming off for another born and bred German – Cacau.

70 Mins: Khedira had a chance to play in the fresh Cacau but then decided to blast the ball to no one and it’s cleared nervously by Australia.

71 Mins: GOAL! CACAU! Australia are in ruins here, and the Germans are running through them at will. Ozil is onside and he has an easy pass to play in Cacau to make it 4-0. You can have them in the next round if you like America! Please?

- What do you have to do to qualify to be German? I have some adidas shoes with Franz Beckenbauer’s face on them – can I have a call up please Mr. Low?

74 Mins: Another change, Ozil is rested after a fantastic game and replaced by Mario Gomez. I’m sure Florentino Perez is watching at home in Madrid, digging around his cupboards for some spare change that can snap up Ozil.

79 Mins: I’ll admit it. I’m losing track of this game, but in my defence it’s really died down now.

80 Mins: Wilkshire has a shot and is still putting in the effort, but it must be a terrible feeling being one of those Australian players out there right now. I feel mostly sorry for John Travolta right now, he must be in some state at the moment – don’t worry John there’s still two more games to play!

84 Mins: I apologise as I didn’t even know this guy was on the pitch now, but Rukavytsya has had a decent effort, yet there’s not enough power on it to really trouble Neuer who will be keeping his clean sheet bonus as things stand.

- Back to the Serbia manager, I also thought he had shades of Jay Leno about him, but that may have been a bit off the mark. Maybe he is Steve Bruce and Jay Leno’s love child.

88 Min: Mesut Ozil has been named man of the match. No surprise there, my mate has just texted me saying he’s a good shout for player of the tournament.

92 Mins: Australia are throwing bodies forward from the corners they are getting, trying to get a consolation goal. Another yellow card for diving, this time it’s Cacau. Another terrible dive and the ref has got it right.

Full Time!

- Well, Germany have reminded the rest of the world that they’re in South Africa as well, and a team that wasn’t as fancied as previous generations all of a sudden finds itself the envy of every other country at the tournament. As for Australia, that has to be a massive blow to a country whose first a second sports are rugby and cricket, not sure what this will do to people watching the World Cup over there, and without Tim Cahill it’s an uphill struggle. Ghana, Serbia and Australia will be fighting it out for the second qualifying spot here, and I’m pretty sure the bookies are being hounded by people wanting to put bets on the German team. Thanks for reading!

As the first weekend of World Cup action draws to a close, the tournament has proven itself to be thoroughly captivating.  While the South African, USA and Ghana teams may have created the most unforeseen results with the ball at their feet, there have been some tremendously positive surprises apart from the players and teams.  Chief among them are-

A simply fabulous job by ESPN and ABC.  Four years ago there was visible anger among the US soccer community at the way ESPN and ABC produced their World Cup coverage – poor announcers, lousy in-studio talent and a purely amateurish approach to covering the world’s greatest sporting event.  This year’s coverage is a sea-change.  The in-studio talent has been made up of some of the most famous and insightful commentators on the soccer scene.  Among the best have been Ruud Gullit, Jurgen Klinsman, the eminently likable Steve McManaman and the surprisingly insightful Roberto Martinez.  Combined with Alexi Lalas and Bob Ley, they have been outstanding.  Furthermore, the play-by-play teams have been terrifically engaging, and in the US-England game the Martin Tyler and John Harkes partnership went surprisingly well.   The camera angles and graphic analysis has been great, and the entire production has walked that fine line of explaining the game to novices and giving great insights to aficionados.  Any fans expecting more from ABC/ESPN are just looking for reasons to take offense.

The referees have been spot-on.  Soccer is the toughest sport to referee in real time and the easiest to referee in slow motion.  In real time, the pitch is gigantic, the action is end-to-end, and the difference between fair and foul is made up of inches and fractions of a second.  Nevertheless, the referees have gotten everything exactly right so far.  From the disallowed Mexican goal for offside despite the defender on the goal line to the Serbian handball to the two red cards that have been handed out so far, everything has been on the money.  In the US-England game in particular, the Brazilian referee who had a reputation for sending players off waived just enough yellow to not interfere in the flow of the game but to make sure nothing got out of hand.  At some point in this tournament, the law of averages dictates that there will be a horrible, impactful mistake by a referee, but so far there can be no complaints.

FIFA and the South African organizers have done a special job.  When the World Cup was awarded to South Africa, many people raised an alarm.  They thought this was a politically correct decision and that South Africa had neither the stadia nor the resources to put on a tournament of this magnitude.  Now that the games are here, the entire affair has been virtually flawless.  The stadia are beautiful and Johannesburg’s Soccer City is simply a marvel.  The pitches have been perfect (how can you have perfect pitches in South Africa in winter and yet Wembley still looks like a motocross track?), and the fans have been as joyous and positive as you could ever hope.  Even the World Cup concert was great.  The entire scene looks glorious, and credit has to go where it is deserved – the excellent South African organizing committee and the team at FIFA who advised, guided, and effectively cajoled them towards success. 

I am sure that there will be events worthy of complaint at some point during this World Cup.  However, so far the entire operation has been as smooth and enjoyable as one could ever hope.

This is yet another group in which the race for second place is far more fascinating than the race for first. The Netherlands (SPI rank 5) is the unquestioned favorite after a thoroughly dominating qualifying campaign. Denmark (SPI rank 20) is looking to reclaim some of the glory from their 1992 European Championship. Japan (SPI rank 42) is feeling the weight of promise after manager Takeshi Okada promised a semifinal run to the home supporters. And Camerron (SPI rank 25) is dealing with pressure of their own as they must try to live up to their potential in the first African World Cup.

The Netherlands has been a country on the cusp of glory for decades now. Utilizing their patented brand of “total football” the Oranje made it to the finals of the 1974 and 1978 World Cups, losing to the host nation both times. But as the years have progressed “total football” has been adopted and molded for each top team and no longer serves as an advantage for Holland. But the arrogance of perceived tactical superiority still permeates the country.  An undefeated qualifying campaign and the top form of star players Arjen Robben, Robin Van Persie and Wesley Sneijder gives their orange-clad supporters much to hope for. There is also the concern of reported locker-room animosity. That has yet to show on the field but it’s a lot easier to get along during a 4-0 thrashing of Macedonia than a tension-filled quarterfinal matchup with one of the world’s top teams. Despite some concerns the Netherlands should top Group E with relative ease. The real question is how the team, who has enough talent to get back to yet another final, will come together in times of adversity deep in the tournament.

The Danes were one of the surprise teams during UEFA qualifying by topping a difficult group including Portugal and Sweden, conceding only five goals along the way. Success for Denmark is reliant on the strength of their back line. If they fall behind early Denmark is not a team built to play from behind. They would much rather get a 1-0 lead and protect it, hoping to extend their league only after their opponents have over committed to the attack. The two most potent offenses in Group E, Holland and Cameroon, are temperamental and easy to frustrate. A scoreless first half will fit perfectly into Denmark’s game plan. This team might not be exciting to watch but will prove very dangerous.

Japan is the lowest-ranked team in the group and will have to overcome a few glaring shortcomings if they are to get out of the group. First off, a semifinal birth for the Japaneese would be the biggest World Cup surprise in history for good reason. The talent just simply is not there. Both in qualifying and in the World Cup the Blue Samurais have been dominant at home but struggled away from Japan. They have not garnered a single point in a World Cup off home soil. There are also concerns about Japan’s mental capacity to handle the pressure of the World Cup. A 2-0 defeat against South Korea and two own goals against England shows a lack of team cohesion and an inability to perform under pressure. Japan is a team headed in the right direction in the international game. The J-League is gaining popularity and producing a few quality players but consistent success for Japan is a few World Cup cycles away and a realistic shot at the semifinals is very far down the road.

Cameroon has been trying to to replicate the success of 1990′s team, who shocked the world by advancing to the quarterfinals. Samuel Eto’o and Alex Song, who start for Inter Milan and Arsenal respectively, provide the Indomitable Lions with one of the most feared attacks on the planet. This will be a welcome change for a Cameroon side who averaged less than a goal a game in all of their World Cup matches since 1990. But where offense emerged defense has evaporated. The back line gave up six goals in a disappointing African Cup of Nations against teams with much weaker offenses than the Netherlands. Also, Samuel Eto’o's threat to skip the World Cup over criticism from former Cameroonian standout Roger Milla came across as petulant. Home-continent advantage can only go so far and Cameroon’s offense won’t be able to counteract their woeful defense or lack of leadership.

Prediction: The Netherlands should get out of the group fairly easily but don’t be surprised if Denmark can work a draw against the European giants. If they can do that Denmark will make it to the knockout rounds because of the disarray of Cameroon and lack of talent for Japan.

Game to Watch: Cameroon vs. The Netherlands, June 24. If nothing else this match will probably provide the most goals of any game of the group. It’ll be the match-up with the most recognizable players and it’s the last game for both teams. The Dutch will be looking to sew-up first place and Cameroon will be desperate for a victory in order to advance.

Being from England, I’ve never been keen on our own national anthem. Sure, God Save the Queen will still get me excited, but I’d prefer it if Land Of Hope And Glory was our personal national anthem, and this mainly stems from the fact some countries have great national anthems. You may find national anthems boring, but no doubt you will not be able to deny that in an important game for your country, they can make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. I’m no expert on national anthems, I don’t even know the words to my own countries one, but I decided to have a little review of all the national anthems at this summer’s World Cup and come up with my five favourite. I would love to hear what your favourite national anthem at this World Cup is – it’s very important you know!

5. Germany:

A football team with more fierce rivals than any other nation in the world most likely, yet they win me over with their great anthem. It just sounds noble and epic, I’d definitely be proud to see my players singing this one. On another note, short and sweet. Recently England took on Sri Lanka in a game of cricket at the World Cup and Sri Lanka’s anthem went on for about five minutes whereas England’s lasted 30 seconds. We sang God Save the Queen and got one with it, good to see the Germans not over doing it.

4. Chile:

Listening to this makes me want to go to Chile, or at least meet some people from there; it sounds vibrant. What an intro that is! Then at the half way point it mixes things up and keeps up the liveliness, it’s a great tune that really represents the country well.

3. France:

I’m surprised how many people don’t realise this song is the official national anthem of France. I don’t know about you, but I hear quite a lot of people recognise the song when it’s played and admit they didn’t know it was the country’s song. It’s a famous tune and deserves to be in there, and is synonymous with the French nation. They may be one of the most frustrating footballing nations to watch, but their anthem certainly provides a bit of entertainment.

2. Brazil:

We hear it all the time at every World Cup, and if you haven’t heard it before get ready to be familiarised with it. The world’s greatest footballing nation backed by a great and vibrant anthem, this song must really fire up the Brazilians before they start the match. Although I usually love Brazil, their great anthem will not stop my 2010 World Cup boycott of them, as Dunga has broke my (and probably yours) heart by dropping Ronaldinho for the South African tournament. Give the people what they want Dunga, I want to hear some of Ronaldinho’s fantastic singing on that anthem.

1. Italy:

I’ve always been a big fan of Italian football, it used to be shown on Channel four when I was young, and as I didn’t have Sky it was my only outlet for football. I still follow Italian football a lot, and most of my favourite players are the big names that graced Serie A in the 90′s and early 00′s. So I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the Italian national team (although Totti, Toni and Del Piero will tell you when they’re not worthy of a call up, Lippi – not the other way around!) and I just love their anthem. If you ever get a chance to read the lyrics to the song as well, they’re going on about making someone Rome’s slave or something and dominating the world. Got to love those Italians.

When you are 11 years old, the word “gay” has a very specific meaning.  It has nothing to do with homosexuality.  It is all-purpose adjective that refers to some activity or event that no self-respecting 11 year old boy would want anything to do with.  Classical music was gay.  Picnics with egg salad sandwiches were gay.  The “It’s a Small World” ride at Disneyland was gay.

When I was 11, I thought soccer was gay.

How could it not be?  Sports was an activity broadcast on network television with production values and drunken announcers like Howard Cosell.  Soccer was (at least in Los Angeles) a grainy, week-old, video of a Bundesliga game broadcast on PBS (which in itself is gay) narrated by some guy with a British accent.  I played Little League and basketball, and one year my mom signed me up for soccer because she thought it was European, and thus cultural (i.e. gay).  Our team name was The Leprechauns (how gay is that?) because some kid’s Irish dad was the coach.  No thanks to my skills, we ended up winning our league, and I hid that trophy way back in the closet where nobody would ever see it and told my mom that I never wanted to play that dumb sport again.

That opinion about soccer pretty much stayed unchanged until 1994.  To be specific, June 28, 1994.  I was living in Washington DC, and a friend had invited me to see Italy play Mexico in the World Cup at RFK Stadium.  I understood that the World Cup was a big deal, and that a lot of people were into it.  Having been in Los Angeles for the Olympics a decade before, I learned that you could go to sporting events for which you had no interest (I saw West Germany beat Romania in Team Handball!) and still have a good time, so I went. 

That game was like nothing I have ever seen.  The Olympics were filled with singing and dancing and that stupid flag and lots of polite cheering.  In fact, if I was 11 at the time, I would have called the Olympics gay.  This, on the other hand, was about naked nationalism, unbridled passion, and an unalloyed desire to see your team triumph.  When the Italians scored just after halftime, their fans were in ecstasy.  Kirk Gibson home run ecstasy.  The Mexican fans emotionally crumbled.  When Mexico scored 10 minutes later, the emotions reversed.  The game ended in a 1-1 draw, and even though cynical American sports fans were supposed to feel unsatisfied at a draw, I was enraptured.  Totally hooked.  And, eventually, obsessed.

It is an obsession that has never really slacked.  Someone gave me Fever Pitch and I became an Arsenal fan.   The MLS started and I became a Galaxy fan.  Every four summers I devoted myself to what I came to accept as the greatest piece of sporting entertainment that existed.  I read about soccer.  I surf the net about soccer.  And, if you are reading this, you will know that I write about soccer. 

I still like baseball and love college football and basketball, but soccer is my chief obsession.  I try not to be evangelical about soccer with my friends.  People who harp about how great the sport is often come off as sounding a little snooty to the uninitiated.  Nevertheless, I try to lasso at least a few people every World Cup into following the tournament.  “Watch a few games, and I bet you will not be able to let it go.”  Those that I can convince end up loving the tournament, and though not all become fanatics about the sport, at least they can appreciate what I see in it.

So, that is my advice to you, the American reader of World Cup Buzz.  Don’t jump on a soapbox about the World Cup.  Don’t preach to the world about “The Beautiful Game.”  Don’t get into inane arguments with people who parrot Jim Rome’s nonsense.  Just get a couple of close friends to commit to watching the World Cup this summer.  Let them soak in the experience.  In all likelihood, you will create a soccer fan.

And, perhaps, a soccer obsessive.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho is renowned for making controversial remarks,  for using the media to hammer his point  and for manipulating the press to engage in psychological games against his toughest opponents. The focus here will be on Mourinho’s latest statement which is actually inaccurate if one is to consider the many factors associated with the World Cup and involved in the buildup to the biggest sports tournament in the world. The outspoken Portuguese claimed the Champions League final is the most important game in the world and even more important than the World Cup.

There is no doubt Mourinho is a capable coach and is probably one of the best at motivating his players, preparing for games and disrupting the plans of opponents through various means including psychological ploys. However, in this case the Portuguese has erred andone only needs to look at Brazilian legend Pele to understand being a great player does not make you an expert on football (whether predictions or various assessment of players & teams) and in Mourinho’scase a number of his outrageous remarks have really little ground to stand on. Below is a brief summary of small scale comparison between the Champions League and the World Cup to make it easier for the public to make their own judgment:

- Most-Watched & TV Audience: Unfortunately we have to go back to 2006 since this was the last time the World Cup and the Champions League were contested in the same year. The World Cup Final in Germany 2006 which featured Italy taking on France was the most watched event in 2006 ahead of the Super Bowl while the Champions League Final (Barcelona vs Arsenal) was actually in fourth place.

- Duration: The qualification process for World Cup 2010 actually begun in August 2007 and ended in November 2009. As for the Champions League the qualifying phase began in June 2009 and the tournament ends this Saturday, May 22nd in Madrid. This might be an unfair comparison but this is part of the process which gives a better assessment of the scale of the respective tournaments and which is bigger.

- Number of Teams: Less than 100 total in the Champions League compared to 204 national teams participating in the World Cup qualifying rounds.

- Matches Played: The World Cup qualifiers alone witnessed 848 matches while the Champions League as a whole features 124 games.

- Prestige: Winning the World Cup is by far the most coveted achievement of a football player’s career. Some of the best players over the decades became legends and cemented themselves in the history books by winning the World Cup. Winning the Champions League is the greatest achievement on the club level but to triumph in the World Cup is to reach the peak of football at all levels.

- Talent on Display: The Champions League and the World Cup are an elitist competition with the best clubs andteams qualifying to main draw (the group stages in both competitions) however the World Cup is even more selective since teams in Italy, Spain andEngland can still make the Champions League despite finishing 3rd or even 4th (after the qualifying stage). This means the Champions League leaves room for some of the less competitive teams. In the World Cup this is balanced by having the different Confederations yet these limit the number of qualifiers to the best teams from most of these Confederations. This allows for a great diversity of talent to be on show. The Champions League does not have the same number of surprise players emerging as stars since Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (Ronaldinho and Kaka before them) have shown time and again they’re the best. In the World Cup, there have been a number of unexpected surprises such as Italy’s Salvatore Schillaci in World Cup 1990.

- Emerging  Talent: Again the World Cup often serves as the perfect stage for the supporters to watch emerging players (such as Roberto Baggio in World Cup 1990) or even hear about future stars (Brazil’s Ronaldo did not play in USA 1994 but was in the squad). Stars are made in the World Cup and careers are often ended as well with many players retiring after participating in the World Cup (Note: Zinedine Zidane of France retiring after Germany 2006).

- Major Controversies: The controversies in the World Cup continue to be discussed for generations and the most notable examples in recent decades are Zidane’s headbutt on Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the Germany 2006 Final in Berlin and Argentina star Diego Maradona’s “Handof God” against England in World Cup 1986. These events continue to be discussed by fans.

- The Money Factor: Mourinho says the Champions League gains the edge over the World Cup because the rich clubs can afford to buy the best talent while national teams pick from the best players available from their country. The logic here might be counterproductive as Barcelona’s Messi will be in the World Cup representing Argentina yet teammate Xavi Hernandez will play for Spain. While the talent might be further dispersed, it does ensure a more competitive tournament while in the Champions League the top teams such as Barca, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Inter and Real Madrid continue to have a monopoly over the best players.

- National Pride: While at the club the salary of the player is a decisive factor, the same players seek and try their best to play for their country at the World Cup. While there are financial rewards offered by a country’s Federation to the players who achieve certain objectives, the competing players in the World Cup are after the prestige and the experience of playing in the World Cup. Players who excel at the World Cup often become national heroes and lift the spirits of their fellow compatriots.

- Social Role: While football in general unites fans whether poor or rich, and of any race or background, to watch the games, the World Cup gets the nod here because of the global presence and coverage it generates.

- World Cup vs Champions League: Simply put winning the World Cup is Marcello Lippi’s greatest achievement and not winning the Champions League with Juventus in 1996. Zidane’s greatest honour was leading France to triumph in World Cup 1998 and then comes other honours such as Euro 2000 with Les Bleus and the Champions League triumph with Real Madrid (Zidane might pick winning the Champions League with R. Madrid over Euro 2000 but he certainly considers France 1998 as his greatest achievement).

- Mourinho Factor: The Portuguese is simply the type who does not rate anything high unless he is the main benefactor or the driving force behind it. Some might argue that when Chelsea won the domestic double (Premiership and FA Cup) in Carlo Ancelotti’s first season in charge one of those who were not really impressed was Mourinho because he used to try and instigate the Italian into a verbal war when Ancelotti was still in charge of rivals Milan. Mourinho considered beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge one of his greatest moments only to retract his statement after eliminating Barca in the Champions League semi-final not because the Catalans are the most talented team in the world (which they probably are with Messi & Xavi leading the line among others) but because he assisted Bobby Robson when he was in charge at the Camp Nou before leaving the club (he was bitter at not being offered the chance to coach the team in the years after). This is one additional motivational factor behind his strong desire to take charge of Real Madrid in order to make Barca suffer on the domestic front.

- Main Focus: The Champions League is on Saturday yet many supporters are preoccupied with the provisional teams and the cuts made by the national team coaches while Mourinho is desperately trying to engage in mind games with BayernMunich. Admittedly the Bavarians did start this round of psychological warfare when they accused Inter of being a defensive team and not entertaining which prompted Mourinho to sarcastically taunt Bayern for the decisive refereeing errors which helped the German club overcome Fiorentina in Munich as well as the sending off of Rafael of Manchester United at Old Trafford which helped turn the tide in Bayern’s favour.

There are a number of other factors which can be considered but once again nothing really surpasses the feeling of winning what is recognised as the world’s greatest honour in sports and the most watched event in the world. In addition, the Champions League is played on a yearly basis while the World Cup is a major event played every four years which gives it even more emphasis and makes it more exclusive. Only seven countries have won the World Cup   at one of the 18 total events played so far while the Champions League is in its 55th season (and ironically in its 18th under the current format) and has been won by 21 different clubs.