World Cup 2010: The Future That Never Was

A month prior to the World Cup, Nike unleashed their "Write the Future" campaign, and, like many others, I was pretty awed upon first viewing.



The video pulled in a million viewers a day on YouTube the week it debuted. As I type this, 17.7 million viewers have watched the clip above. All good for Nike, but how did the World Cup work out for the stars of the show? Eh, not so good. To recap:

Didier Drogba: Eliminated in the group stages
Fabio Cannavaro: Eliminated in the group stages
Wayne Rooney: Eliminated in the Round of 16
Frank Ribery: Eliminated in the group stages
Ronaldinho: Never made it to South Africa
Cristiano Ronaldo: Eliminated in the Round of 16

We haven't seen a collection of athletes in an ad campaign flop this badly since the Dan and Dave Reebok commercials prior to the 1992 Summer Olympics. A tough break for Nike, but I have a feeling they'll do just fine.

Update: Apparently the curse extends to Roger Federer as well. At least Kobe Bryant had a good month.

World Cup 2010: Breaking Down the Groups- Part 1

32 group stage games down, 16 to go. As we head into round three of matches, 30 of 32 teams still have a chance to reach the knockout stages. Those teams range from a 2-0 side in precarious position to an 0-2 side with a very realistic chance to advance. Let's breakdown the scenarios and my predictions, starting with Groups A-D.

Group A
Standings: Uruguay- 4 points, +3 goal differential; Mexico- 4 pts., +2; France- 1 pt., -2; South Africa- 1pt., -3
Match-ups: Uruguay vs. Mexico; South Africa vs. France
The situation: Uruguay are part of the South American juggernaut that has eight wins and two draws in ten matches. Diego Forlan is one of the emerging stars of the Cup with two goals in the win over South Africa. While a draw guarantees both sides advance, Mexico will want to avoid a second round meeting with Argentina, so look for El Tri to go on the attack. If there's any justice, the French collection of prima donnas will get blasted by South Africa. The hosts will likely miss the knockout stages, but a well-deserved win would allow them to finish on a high,
Prediction: Mexico wins to top the group as Uruguay holds on to second.

Group B
Standings: Argentina- 6 pts.; +4; South Korea- 3 pts.; -1; Greece- 3 pts., -1; Nigeria- 0 pts., -2
Match-ups: Argentina vs. Greece; South Korea vs. Nigeria
The situation: 0-2 may seem like a bleak position, but Nigeria are surprisingly in good shape to advance. A win over South Korea coupled with a Greece loss to Argentina will see three teams tie for second at 1-2. Regardless of the scores on Tuesday, Nigeria are ensured of winning the goal differential tie-breaker. Argentina need only a draw to lock-up the top spot, and it's hard to see them failing to capture a point.
Prediction: Argentina take first and Nigeria sneak in behind them.

Group C
Standings: Slovenia- 4 pts., +1; USA- 2 pts., E; England- 2 pts. E, Algeria- 1 pt., -1
Match-ups: Slovenia vs. England; USA vs. Algeria
The situation: It's win and advance for Slovenia, the U.S. and England, while Algeria needs a win and some help from England to move on. Oddly the fourth-place side is the only one entering their match on a positive note. Slovenia coughed up a two-goal lead to the U.S., a match the Americans left thinking they should have won. Meanwhile England are just grateful that the French are in town, otherwise they'd be the poster children for team disharmony and underachievement.
Prediction: A pair of 2-0 wins sees the U.S. and England advance, with the States topping the group on the second tiebreaker, goals scored.

Group D
Standings: Ghana 4 pts., +1; Germany 3 pts., +3; Serbia 3 pts., E; Australia 1 pt. -4
Match-ups: Ghana vs. Germany; Serbia vs. Australia
The situation: A quick look at the standings, and you'd say Group D leaders Ghana are Africa's best hope of reaching the knockout stages. They might, however, face a tougher task than winless Nigeria. The Black Stars will need at least a point against Germany to ensure passage. If they lose, Serbia will pass them with a win over Australia. While a win advances any of the top three teams, only Ghana are assured of moving on with a draw. Australia needs to show that it can play without getting a star player red carded, following the dismissals of Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell in their first two matches.
Prediction: Germany plays like, well, Germany and gets the win to put them on top of the group. Serbia join them in the second round.

World Cup 2010: Group A Preview

World Cup Group A features the hosts, South Africa, along with Mexico, and former champs France and Uruguay. Any of the four sides could conceivably reach the knockout round; France are the weakest of the group favorites, and while South Africa are long shots, home field advantage has inspired past underdogs. Here's a closer look at the group.

The tournament's opening game should tell how much fight we'll see from the hosts. While many think South Africa will become the first home standing nation to be eliminated in the opening round, they've shown improvement in recent matches under veteran coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. They'll need a result in the curtain raiser against Mexico to have a shot of advancing and their top player, Everton's Steven Pienaar will need to lead the charge.

Mexico have been a consistent bet to escape the group stages at recent World Cups, and this version of El Tri is positioned to do the same. Their 2-1 friendly win over Italy this week showed Javier Aguirre's troops are poised for a deep run. The Mexican side blends the youthful talents of Giovani Dos Santos with the veteran savvy of Rafael Marquez and Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

Depending on your perspective, France's roster is either loaded with veteran stars or filled with guys well past their prime. An inconsistent qualifying run under lame duck head coach Raymond Domenech leaves Les Bleus ripe for an upset. When Franck Ribery isn't busy sleeping with underage prostitutes, he's France's top all-around player and if he can connect with aging strikes Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka, France should advance from the group.

Uruguay hasn't tasted World Cup success since winning their second title in 1950. More recently they've won just one of 14 tournament matches. Europa League hero Diego Forlan and striking partner Luis Suarez give the team a potent attack, but questions surround the midfield and goaltending. Their final match against Mexico could be a battle for a knockout round berth.

Prediction: Mexico tops the group, followed by France. Uruguay and South Africa head home.

World Cup 2010: Checking in on UEFA Qualifying

With the club season over, the summer attention turns to qualifying for next year's World Cup. With most nations just past the halfway mark, the race for Europe's 13 slots in South Africa 2010 is taking shape. Nine group winners qualify automatically, while the top eight runners-up will enter four two-legged playoffs for the remaining slots. Here's a look at how the groups stand.

Group 1: Portugal has been one of the biggest disappointments to date, with just one win in five matches. Portugal trails both Denmark and Hungary by seven points, although Portugal does have a game in-hand on the Hungarians. Sweden, with the fewest games played, is also in the mix. Portugal's September 5 trip to Denmark will be a key fixture.

Group 2: The weakest of the nine groups, Greece and Switzerland top the table, three points ahead of Latvia. The Greeks travel to Switzerland on September 5.

Group 3: Northern Ireland are one of the biggest surprises, topping the table with 13 points, but they've played two more matches than second-place Slovakia, which has 12. Poland (10 points in six matches) will also view for top honors. With only eight points through six matches, the favored Czech Republic has work to do.

Group 4: Germany appear in comfortable position with 16 points in six matches. Russia, with 12 points in five matches, should be able to hold off Finland (seven points, four matches played) for second.

Group 5: European champions Spain are perfect in six matches, the best mark of any of the 53 qualifiers. While Bosnia-Herzegovina trail by six points, they're positioned well to take second, four points ahead of Turkey.


Group 6: English fans are giddy over the 15 points in five matches earned by Fabio Capello's men. Croatia and Urkraine will battle for second, with the Croats hosting a June 6 meeting.

Group 7: Serbia are another surprise group leader, two points ahead of 2006 runners-up France. The Serbs are in good shape with two of their next three at home, including a September 9 visit by Les Blues.

Group 8: Despite a home draw to Ireland in their most recent match, Italy are poised to defend their 2006 title. The Irish have yet to lose in six matches, leading third-place by Bulgaria by five points.

Group 9: Holland join Spain and England as the only sides with unblemished marks, and they have more than double the points of second place Scotland (15-7).

Predicted group winners: Denmark, Switzerland, Slovakia, Germany, Spain, England, France, Italy, Holland
Predicted playoff qualifiers: Portugal, Greece, Poland, Russia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Ireland

UEFA Euro 2008: Does Anybody Love Raymond?

Apparently France coach Raymond Domenech's bizarre post-game proposal to his lady friend Estelle Denis hasn't gone over that well with either the French public or Denis herself. Following France's tournament-ending 2-0 loss to Italy Tuesday, Domenech, in a desperate attempt for some love, figured the exit of a major international tournament was the perfect time to ask for Denis' hand in marriage.

I guess Estelle was hoping for a something a bit more romantic. Like the rest of France, she's reportedly unhappy with Domenech's showing at Euro '08. Give Ray some credit for creativity. Proposing at the top of the Eiffel Tower is such a cliche. This was nothing if not different.

UFEA Euro 2008: Day 11 Recap

Italy 2, France 0
Holland 2, Romania 0

What was expected to be one of the tournament's signature matches was a bit of a letdown, but you won't hear Italian fans complaining. The Azurri earned a spot in the quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over France, combined with Romania's 2-0 loss to Holland. Despite the convincing win, their first of the tournament, the news wasn't all positive for Italy. Midfielders Andrea Pirlo, who scored the first goal, and Gennaro Gattuso, both picked up their second yellow cards of the tournament and will miss Italy's quarterfinal against Spain.

The game was essentially decided in the 25th minute when France's Eric Abidal earned a red card for a professional foul on Luca Toni and Pirlo converted the ensuing penalty kick. France followed with a few offensive spurts, but no sustained pressure, and when Daniele De Rossi's 62nd minute free kick deflected off the foot of Thierry Henry into the net, Italy were through.

By the time the Italians tacked on their second goal, Romania already trailed Holland 1-0. Needing a win to advance, Romania could manage only eight shots for the game, and fell 2-0 to settle for third. While Holland were the story of Group C, the key moment over the past nine days came in the Romania-Italy match when Gigi Buffon's PK save on Adrian Mutu denied Romania three points and kept Italy in position to advance.

For the French, the only highlight on the evening was coach Raymond Domenech proposing to his lady friend during the post game press conference. Interesting timing on Domench's part and no word on if she said "oui."

Italy will face Spain in the quarters Sunday in Vienna, a task that becomes even tougher for Italy without the AC Milan duo of Pirlo and Gatusso. Holland have a Saturday date in Basel with either Sweden or Russia.

UEFA Euro 2008: Day 11 Previews

Romania, France and Italy are in a three-way battle for second in Group C, while Holland can enjoy the show.

France vs. Italy
The venue: Letzigrund Stadion, Zurich, Switzerland
The broadcast: ESPN, 2:45 pm ET
The storyline: It's the fourth big meeting between these countries in less than two years, following the '06 World Cup Final and two Euro qualifiers. Neither side has a win in the tournament, with each getting thumped by Holland and drawing with Romania. If Romania fail to beat Holland, the winner here gets a Sunday date with Spain in the quarters.
The prediction: Henry? Ribery? Toni? Who's gonna be the hero? Here's guessing a tense affair falls 1-0 to Italy.

Holland vs. Romania
The venue: Stade de Suisse Wankdorf, Berne, Switzerland
The broadcast: ESPN Classic, 2:45 pm ET
The storyline: Holland are on cruise control, having already wrapped up the group's top spot. Of the three teams battling for second, Romania have the upper hand, knowing a win sends them through regardless of the France-Italy result.
The prediction: It's tough to gauge what type of effort Holland will bring, but their wide-open style pitted against a Romania squad that has to win should produce an entertaining affair. A 2-2 draw leaves Romania on the wrong side of the equation.

UEFA Euro 2008: Group C Chaos?

There's a genuine chance Italy, France and Romania could finish in a three-way tie for second in Group C. If Romania lose by three goals to Holland, and Italy and France play to a draw, with all three teams scoring the same number of goals Tuesday, those squads will be completely level: 2 points, a -3 goal differential, and the same number of goals for and against. What happens then? The qualifying coefficient comes into play, with the tiebreaker going to the team with the highest average points earned in qualifying matches from 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. (The average is used since teams played various numbers of qualifying matches.) That tiebreaker favors Italy.

Italy: 52 points from 22 matches= 2.36
Romania: 54 points from 24 matches= 2.25
France: 46 points from 22 matches= 2.09

Here are the other Group C scenarios:
-Romania advance with a win over Holland, regardless of the result of the Italy-France match.
-If Romania lose or draw against Holland, the winner of Italy-France advances.
-If Italy and France draw, Romania would still advance if they lose to Holland by two goals or less.
-If Italy and France draw and Romania lose by four or more to Holland, Italy and France will go to shootout for second.
-If Italy and France draw and Romania lose by three, Romania advance if they score more goals than Italy and France. (For example, Romania could lose 4-1, but would advance if Italy and France play to a 0-0 draw.)
-If Italy and France draw and Romania lose by three, and score fewer goals than Italy and France, Italy and France will go to a shootout for second. (For example, if Romania lose 3-0 to Holland, a 1-1 draw between Italy and France would send them to shootout.)

Got all that? Incidentally, the qualifying coefficient is what was used to seed teams for this tournament. That's how a team like France, with a relatively low score, end up grouped with Italy.

UEFA Euro 2008: Day 7 Recap

Italy 1, Romania 1
Holland 4, France 1

Any questions? Holland continued their dream run through the Group of Death with a 4-1 win over France. The win clinches the top spot in Group C for Marco Van Basten's men after a sweep of the finalists from the 2006 World Cup. As they did in their opener, Holland took the early lead but continued to press from there. Dirk Kuyt put Holland up 1-0 at the break with a tenth-minute header off a corner kick. In the second half Van Basten's subbed in more attacking players in Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben. Robben scored the second goal in the 59th minute, but the heroes on the play were Ruud van Nistelroy, who made a brilliant sideline maneuver to keep the ball in play and feed Robben, whose long run ended with a cross to van Persie. Thierry Henry netted France's first goal in the 71st minute, but a minute later Robben restored the advantage. Wesley Sneijder capped the scoring with an extra time tally.

Holland's entertaining play through two games evoke memories of the "Total Football" squads of the '70s which were twice World Cup runners-up, and the 1988 squad, led by Van Bastern, that won the nation's only European title. Key to Dutch success has been the contributions of players such as van Persie and Robben whose health was questionable coming into the tournament. Clearly this team is clicking at the right time and having locked up Group C, they enjoy the luxury of resting a bit in their final group stage game.

As for France, they incredibly remain in the picture along with Italy and Romania after those sides drew 1-1. A lively second half saw Adrian Mutu put Romania ahead 1-0 in the 55th minute, taking advantage of a botched head back by Gianluca Zambrotta. It took only one minute for Italy to level the game off the foot of Christian Panucci. Panucci was a central figure in the 80th minute, when his foul in the box gave Mutu the chance to steal the win from the penalty spot. But Gianluigi Buffon made a brilliant sprawling save to secure a valuable point for Italy.

The results leave Romania in second with two points, in control their destiny. But if the Romanians fail to beat Holland, the winner of the Italy-France match will advance.

UEFA Euro 2008: Day 7 Previews

The second day in Group C sees the World Champs Italy looking to rebound against Romania, while France hopes to slow down Holland.

Italy vs. Romania
The venue: Letzigrund Stadion, Zurich, Switzerland
The broadcast: ESPN2, 12:00 pm ET
The storyline: Italy looked old and slow in their opener against Holland. Was that the result of a brilliant Dutch side or the sign of an Italian team that reached their peak two years ago? That question will be answered against a cagey Romanian opponent.
The prediction: Expect a sharper Italian defense and an offense that just does enough to get a 1-0 win.

France vs. Holland
The venue: Stade de Suisse Wankdorf, Berne, Switzerland
The broadcast: ESPN2, 2:45 pm ET
The storyline: France's ability to ground the high-flying Dutch will depend on what contributions they get, if any, from Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry, who both missed the opener with thigh injuries. Overlooked in Holland's win over Italy were key saves from Edwin van der Sar, who will seek a second clean sheet.
The prediction: Holland are brimming with confidence and with the French at less than 100 percent, the Dutch lock up Group C with a 2-1 win.

UEFA Euro 2008: Day 3 Recap

France 0, Romania 0
Holland 3, Italy 0

The greatest moment in Dutch football came 20 years ago in winning Euro 1988. But in terms of a single-game performance, this afternoon's 3-0 thrashing of Italy may stand as the finest effort in team history. Employing a brash, attacking style, Holland jumped to a 2-0 lead at the half and crusied to victory. The brillant counter attack that lead to the second score is an early candidiate for the goal of the tournament. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst made a goal-line clearance off an Italian corner kick, then sparked a breakout that resulted in a long pass to Dirk Kuyt, whose centering pass was one-touched home by Wesley Sneijder in the 31st minute.

The controversy surrounding Holland's first goal five minutes earlier may be limited since the end result was so convincing. Ruud van Nistelrooy was clearly in an offsides position when he slotted home the first goal. Officials later explained that the presence of defender Christian Panucci, injured earlier in the play and lying off the pitch next to the goal, kept van Nistelrooy in an onsides position. But when you saw the Real Madrid striker's reaction- 10 seconds of looking for a flag before celebrating- it was clear he knew he got away with one.

The tournament is by no means over for Italy, but they'll need a better performance up front from Luca Toni if they are to improve from today's effort. The Bayern Munich striker missed a pair of close chances to get Italy back in the match.

In the first game, injury-riddled France, without Patrick Viera and Thiery Henry, looked off their pace in a goalles draw with Romania. Scoring chances were limited for both sides and it remains to be seen what contributions France will get from their hobbled stars. Romania played a smart game defensively but will need to show some creativity on the other end if they have designs on escaping the Group of Death.

Thursday Italy face Romania while France meet Holland. The 2006 World Cup Finalists are both on the wrong side of the momenum meter after day one, and we'll see if Holland's performance is a preview of greatness or a one-hit wonder.

UEFA Euro 2008: Day 3 Previews

Group C, "The Group of Death," gets underway with France against Romania and Italy versus Holland.

France vs. Romania
The venue: Letzigrund Stadion, Zurich, Switzerland
The broadcast: ESPN2, 12:00 pm ET
The storyline: France have not been at their best in the pre-tournament friendlies. They can't afford to get off to a slow start against Romania with matches against Holland and Italy to follow.
The prediction: The tournament has yet to see an upset and given France's recent form this could be the first. Romania take a 1-0 win.

Holland vs. Italy
The venue: Stade de Suisse Wankdorf, Berne, Switzerland
The broadcast: ESPN2, 2:45 pm ET
The storyline: Both sides come into the game hard hit by injuries. Holland winger Arjen Robben (groin) is the latest Dutch player to head to the bench, joining Robin van Persie and Ryan Babel. Italy are forced to deal with the loss of captain Fabio Cannavaro.
The prediction: As both squads feel their way through modified line-ups, the net result is a 1-1 draw.

UEFA Euro 2008: Injuries Plague Group C

The major drawback of summer international tournaments is players arriving on the heels of a grueling club season. We can't say for certain that's to blame for the rash of pre-tournament injuries that have hit Group C, but some big names are already out of action. The biggest is Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro, who tore ankle ligaments during a practice collision with teammate Giorgi Chiellini Monday. The Italian team had been in Austria for only a few hours before losing the veteran defender.

Two days earlier torn ankle ligaments claimed Holland forward Ryan Babel, although his injury did not involve contact. The loss was a difficult one for an already banged-up Dutch side. Reports Monday suggested that striker Robin van Persie will likely miss the opener against Italy.

French captain Patrick Viera is also out for the opener, the victim of an ankle injury. Mathieu Flamini has been called up to take Viera's roster spot for now, although France have until the day before their June 9 game against Romania to make final roster decisions.

UEFA Euro 2008: France Team Preview

Euro 2008 kicks off a week from tomorrow, and our previews continue with the "Group of Death," Group C, featuring World Cup runners-up France, Holland, World Cup Champs Italy, and Romania.

The squad: Over the past decade, France has gone from the highs of winning the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 to the lows of a goalless exit from the 2002 World Cup and a quarterfinal upset loss to Greece at Euro 2004. Their second-place finish at the 2006 World Cup suggests they are back on the upswing, but missteps in their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign leave a few doubts.

The players: There's no shortage of star power, including Barcelona striker Thierry Henry, Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery and Arsenal defender William Gallas. Ribery was named the Bundesliga's player of the year after the Bavarians captured the double. With no more Zidane and no David Trezeguet, left off the squad by coach Raymond Domenech, there will be added pressure on Henry step forward in a major tournament.

The schedule: vs. Romania (6/9); vs. Holland (6/13); vs. Italy (6/17)

The prediction: France have the talent to win the tournament but could just as easily exit after three games. The thinking here is Italy and Holland send Les Blues home early.