World Cup Blog – Group Stage Recap
It’s been a crazy Cup so far, here’s my quick recap with thoughts on the way each group played out:
Group A
I was very fortunate to see Luis Suarez play for Ajax in Amsterdam this March and I was left feeling like I just watched the world’s greatest unknown player. He wasn’t just good, he was dominant… I mean, the guy scored 35 goals in a 34 game season. FC Utrecht scored a total of 39 goals as a team, and finished a respectable 7th place out of 18.
He’s no longer unknown, and combined with Forlan’s unbelievable run of form, expect Uruguay to be the team to beat in the easiest quadrant of the tourney.
Group B
What started out looking like a potential group of death was anything but. Greece and Nigeria were disappointing, and South Korea earned the right to play in the knockout. Argentina looks unbeatable, but we have to keep in mind that their opponents may not be adequately preparing them for the rest of the tourney.
Group C
Donovan’s goal was one of the greatest moments in American soccer history, and it firmly places our sport at the forefront of the casual fan’s interest. However, we need to separate what we did from how we did it. I am very concerned that we struggled constantly to get out of a group that we were supposed to advance from all along. World class teams don’t need heroics every game… maybe we can put on the cruise control against Ghana. Hopefully.
Group D
As much as Group B was all about underachievement, the opposite could be said about Group D. Of the 16 groups in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups combined, this was the only one in which every team earned a win. In the end, Germany made it to the top spot and the US is lucky to avoid them in the first round. England might end up paying a hefty price for stumbling out of the group stages with this matchup.
Group E
Cameroon was a dark horse and failed miserably. The Dutch are cruising. At the US/Netherlands match on March 3rd, we managed a respectable 2-1 scoreline, but the game was anything but… make no mistake, most of the game looked like a training exercise and they are continuing their form on the big stage. The potential quarterfinal matchup against Brazil could be a great one to watch if both teams take care of business and get there.
Group F
While everybody saw France’s demise coming, nobody expected this out of the Italians. To finish dead last in the group is a national disgrace… but credit goes to all three other teams for making this one of the most entertaining groups to watch. New Zealand exits the tournament with an unbeaten record, and deserve full credit for a series of gritty results.
Group G
Of the entire World Cup, I was the most disappointed in the way this group played out. Drogba’s injury clearly affected the Ivory Coast and the awesome matchup between Brazil and Portugal was unfortunately scheduled last… inducing a snoozefest 0-0 draw as both teams limped hand in hand to the knockout stages. Had they played in the second round of group games, it could have been one of the best of the tournament.
Group H
Heartbreak for the Swiss as Honduras kept them from joining Spain in the knockout. Frankly, I don’t know how that happened… but the “reward” of playing either Brazil or Portugal might have been enough for the perennial neutral to step aside.
That’s all I’ve got for now, I’ll be back after the Round of 16.
AA
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