On African Soil, Ghana Lone Success Story (So far...)

Cameroon came into the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with a big name, Samuel Eto'o, and were predicted to finish no worse than second in their group and advance to the knockout stage.

Then Japan beat Cameroon 1-0, and their chance to make the knockout stage requires that they beat Denmark and probably draw the Netherlands. In other words, they are probably done.

Ivory Coast came in with an even bigger star, Didier Drogba, but have been drawn into this year's group of death and will need to beat Portugal or Brazil in order to advance. And Drogba, by the way, has a broken elbow and may try to play in a cast. Their chances of advancing, before their first game is even played, seem far-fetched.

Nigeria played well, or at least their keeper did, against a tough Argentina squad. They will have games against Greece and South Korea, much weaker sides, to prove themselves.

The host nation of South Africa scored the tournament's most memorable goal so far, and managed a draw against a superior Mexico team. They have games against Uruguay and France to prove that they are capable of scoring enough to win a game.

Then there's Ghana.

Going into the tournament, Ghana had more doubters than any of the teams above. Michael Essien, the Chelsea midfielder and Ghana star, was ruled out of the side due to injury. His replacement would be Kevin-Prince Boateng, a man best known for injuring Essien's Chelsea teammate Michael Ballack during the FA Cup Final in May.

Any doubts about Ghana were answered, however, when Asamoah Gyan converted a penalty kick in the 84th minute against 10-man Serbia and the Black Stars became the first African team to win on African soil.

Ghana still has to get through a tough group that includes an inspired German side and an Australian team looking to take out their anger on somebody, but it looks like they will progress, which may be more than can be said of any other African team in the tournament.

Will Ballack come to America?

Now that Chelsea have released Michael Ballack, speculation turns to where the German captain will end up next season.

Right now there appear to be four possible scenarios, laid out below in order of likelihood:

1) Ballack returns to the Bundesliga. He is still a huge star in Germany, obviously, and multiple teams have already been reported to be"keen" to sign the midfielder. Schalke 04, in particular, would be a likely destination. They finished second in the Bundesliga last season, and could offer Champions League action for Ballack. Other possible suitors could be Hamburger SV, who could have the best team of 2000 with Ballack and Ruud Van Nistelrooy, and former employer Bayern Munich.

2) Ballack follows the money to the Middle East. Could Ballack snag one of those great first-class seats on Air Emirates and head off to Dubai for a few glass skyscrapers filled with Euros? Rumors have been circulating that Ballack is the target of multiple teams in Dubai, and UK newspaper The Guardian has even suggested that he would play for Sven-Goran Erikkson when he arrives. The Swede would, I'm sure, find new ways to lose in the desert.

3) Ballack comes to America, paid for by Adidas. Can any MLS team really afford Ballack? Maybe the Seattle Sounders, but they already have the ancient Swede Freddie Ljungberg. Maybe the Red Bulls, but they are set to pay Frenchman Thierry Henry. Perhaps he could wind up with a team that has a salable asset, like perhaps a certain American midfielder who would rather be in Europe, and nurse injuries with David Beckham all year. With both Ballack and Beckham, the Galaxy would be a Ronaldinho or Fabio Cannavaro away from being the New York Cosmos of the MLS.

England do not suffer any injuries in friendly, other than loss of dignity

The United States soccer team played Australia in their final tuneup for the World Cup; their opening opponent played the Platinum Stars. No, the team was not made up of blond celebrities or jewelry, but it is a far cry from a serious opponent. Despite the lack of credible opposition, Italian maestro/curator/all-around deity Fabio Capello decided to play his stars, including Wayne Rooney.

Fortunately for the Three Lions [and Nike], Rooney made it through without injury, although he did somehow manage to get a yellow card for dissent.

As for the match, England won 3-nil with goals from Rooney, Joe Cole, and Jermain Defoe.

English press "wound up" about Demerit quote

Journalism is a tough business these days, especially for those who are trying to merge traditional media, like a newspaper, and new media, like Twitter. And sometimes when the two intersect, accuracy is lost.

The latest controversy, if it can be called such, started when loudmouth commentator Alexi Lalas, a man not associated with the US men's national team staff, blurted out on television that the US must wind up Wayne Rooney. The precise number of loudmouth British commentators that have been making pointless suggestions to the English team is not a stat I want to look for, but it is probably in the millions.

Somehow, the quote by Lalas was fed to Jay Demerit, whose response then became the centerpiece of multiple articles suggesting that the Yanks will try dirty tactics in order to cause Wayne Rooney to become all red with anger and stomp on somebody's groin.

Yesterday, Jay Demerit said the following about Wayne Rooney, and I'm going to put the whole quote in for the sake of accuracy:

"We all understand the type of player he is and his world-class ability. The preparations for him in particular, of course, are going to be high. The team know that you try to wind Rooney up, that's been out there already. But I think he's learned over the years, with people telling him, that's an easy way to get at him. I don't think it's as easy to wind Rooney up as people think it is."

My reading of the quote: Rooney is an outstanding player. Teams used to be able to get to him because of his temper, but that has changed. Could anybody possibly argue with that statement?

Plenty of fodder there for the headline makers at the Guardian, however, who came up with this: "USA plan to wind up Rooney"

Moments later, hundreds of Tweets repeated the headline, followed by thousands of re-Tweets proclaiming that Rooney will not be fooled by such tricks.

The article even sparked a reaction from Frank Lampard, who suggested that trying to wind up Rooney would be pointless.

I think we all know what is really pointless here, and the English press had better do some real journalism and stop trying to paint the Yanks as conniving hooligans.

Here is the Guardian article, peruse at your leisure: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/england/7807037/World-Cup-2010-USA-admit-to-special-plans-for-England-forward-Wayne-Rooney.html

Will there be match fixing at World Cup 2010? You bet!

After reading Declan Hill's absorbing book The Fix last week, I've become a bit cynical about international soccer. For those of you who haven't read it, and you should, Hill provides a boatload of evidence, albeit some of it circumstantial, that Ghana fixed two matches at the World Cup in 2006. As a follower of U.S. soccer, my first reaction was shock: Why would the Black Stars, fan favorites and media darlings after beating the United States and advancing from the group of death, possibly fix a match?

According to Hill, there is a formula for match fixing at the highest level. First, find a team with players who have a history of fixing, that way they will not simply reject the idea out of hand. Ghana has a lot of fixing going on at the youth level, and players start to expect it as they progress in their international careers. Second, find a person the players trust to arrange everything and get access for the gamblers. A former youth coach for Ghana did that from an adjacent hotel in 2006. Third, find a game the players believe they will lose anyway, such as Ghana against Brazil in the knockout stages, and have the players make sure the game is lost by at least two goals. Ghana lost to Brazil 3-0, and two of the goals would have been stopped by a bad MLS team [check it out on YouTube and see for yourself].

If it did happen in Germany, and even if you don't believe Hill about Ghana dumping games, there was certainly something odd about the comments Steven Appiah made in the book about accepting money to win a game, will it happen in South Africa? I would not say it will definitely happen, but fixers will have greater access than they did in Germany, and there will be games where teams will expect to lose and may feel that a payday for that loss wouldn't hurt.

Now, I'm not saying it will happen, but a few games that meet Hill's criteria for the group stage:
- Honduras vs. Spain: The Hondurans are happy to be in it, but are they happy enough to forego a payday for a game against the favorites that they are 99% likely to lose anyway?
- North Korea vs. Brazil: Not sure how you bribe a Communist, but North Korea is not exactly known for transparency and a lack of corruption, although they may fear what would happen if they were caught. Then again, they could lose by eight goals and nobody would suspect a thing.
-Ghana vs. Germany: Hey, they may have done it last time with many of the same players, didn't really get caught, and this match could be meaningless in determining whether or not they advance. No, it seems too perfect for a fix. Or does it?

Any other games we should keep an eye on for the fix?

Searching for a talisman at World Cup 2010

In so many ways, the 2006 World Cup in Germany was all about Zinedine Zidane. Whether he was controlling the midfield or losing control of his temper, Zizou headlines nearly every history of the last World Cup. He led an under performing and essentially coach-less [sorry M. Domenech] French team past Ronaldinho's Brazil and Ronaldo's Portugal, and nearly to a win over Italy for the trophy. In the final, he not only had a crucial penalty conversion and an agonizing near-miss in extra time, but he connected on an infamous header that sent Marco Materazzi from relative obscurity outside of his homeland all the way into the trash talker hall of fame [I think it's in New Jersey, with Gary Payton and Deion Sanders statues out front]. After the World Cup Zidane retired, never to be seen in a Les Bleus shirt again.

With this year's World Cup set to begin in only five days, who may be the elder statesmen that can take hold of the world's stage and become the talisman, guiding his team to glory in his last chance to play for his country's shirt? Here are my best guesses, in no particular order:

Kaká (Brazil) - Yes, he is only 28, but 32 is ancient by Brazilian standards, just ask Ronaldinho [He's only 30!]. Besides, this is undoubtedly his team, he probably won't get that same chance in his homeland in 2014. The two Gilbertos and Lucio may be the senior members, and Dani Alves is the most charismatic/insane, but Kaka has the best chance to become this year's Zidane. With talent both boundless and multifaceted, expect Kaka to be heavily involved if Brazil claim their sixth World Cup. He may not score all of the goals himself, but you'll notice that Robinho and Luis Fabiano look infinitely better when they are receiving his passes from midfield than they do with their respective club teams.

Juan Sebastian Veron (Argentina) - When Maradona cut Riquelme and Cambiasso from his squad, the 35 year old suddenly became Argentina's de facto leader. Because he is the only real grownup on the team, manager included, Veron needs to be a calming force in midfield to help scuttle the bunker mentality teams often display against his side. Veron missed out on the 2006 World Cup, and he will definitely not be back for Brazil 2014, so this is his only chance to make an impact for La Albiceleste.

Dirk Kuyt (Netherlands) - One thing Kuyt has going for him: he is not Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben, or Wesley Sneijder, and therefore may be able to play up to seven games without getting injured. At nearly thirty, this will likely be his last World Cup and the Liverpool man needs to lead a team with some huge egos, and without elder statesman Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Kuyt may have a shortage of admirers these days outside of Anfield, and he may not even start for Le Oranje, but his work rate and enthusiasm never wane on the field. He may also be the odd man in a group of superstar strikers and attacking midfielders that is willing to go for the dangerous header or follow up goal rather than the perfect strike. He will not be the Zidane of this World Cup, but with his gas tank and eye for the cheap goal, he will be the stalwart on a fragile Dutch team.

Deco (Portugal) - After a disappointing run of form at Chelsea, Deco needs to bounce back in the World Cup if Portugal is going to get out of its group. The Deco of 2006 seemed to be everywhere on the field, only to be stopped by a suspension due to an accumulation of yellow cards against the Netherlands. The Brazilian-born midfielder needs to be the set up man for Cristiano Ronaldo, both by passing and tying up defenders. At 33, Deco need not worry about saving himself for 2014, his time is now.

Carles Puyol (Spain) - There is something slightly clownish, other than the hair, about the 32 year old Spanish defender. Perhaps it is because he can make a harmless nudge look like a hockey fight, or the constant expression of outrage on his face, or because he takes a week to get back on defense after coming down for a corner kick. Or maybe it is just the hair. Regardless, Puyol brings charisma and charm to a team filled with attractive superstars that are large on talent but a bit short on personality. He is also, undoubtedly, a leader. Just ask Barcelona, who flailed without him in the Champions League. For La Furia Roja to win the World Cup, and they are the favorites, they will need Puyol to draw fouls and distract referees.

Thierry Henry/William Gallas (France) - The two Frenchmen share a birthday, and neither are likely to figure in the plans of France's next coach, Laurent Blanc, so it makes sense to put them together. Henry was a prodigy at the 1998 World Cup, but now he's the old man who cannot handle a full 90 minutes. The injury prone Gallas loves to get into the attack with his hard head and flash his captain's armband, but fellow players tend to think of him as less leader and more diva. If the pair could find a way to rekindle the magic touch Zidane brought in 2006, France could sneak up on teams and make a deep run in the knockout stage.

Michael Ballack of Germany would have been my second pick, after Kaka, to be the Zidane of 2010, but he is injured. I would say the same of Michael Essien of Ghana, and Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast if he does not make it back.

Others who might lead their teams to glory in what will likely be their last World Cup: Carlos Bocanegra of the United States [age: 31]; Rafa Marquez of Mexico [age 31]; Miroslav Klose of Germany [age: will be 32 by the start of play]; Shunsuke Nakamura of Japan [age: 31]; and the one player I should have written more about, Steven Gerrard of England [age: 30], a team in dire need of a leader.

Leave a comment if there is anyone I left out.

Robbie Findley should start against England

When Bob Bradley chose Robbie Findley as part of the 30 man roster, likely at the expense of a great comeback story involving Charlie Davies, nobody cheered. When Bradley didn't play Findley against the Czech Republic, most people thought that he was off the plane for South Africa. Then Findley made the cut for the 23 man roster, and somehow made many sad to see Brian Ching cut. After a good showing against Turkey, Findley may have created some support for his inclusion. Those supporters may now be running away from Findley faster than he runs away from defenders after he missed two open chances at goals in today's friendly against Australia. This blog would argue the opposite, that he did not "heavy touch" his way out of the squad bu solidified his starting spot for the England game.

Despite the missed opportunities today, Findley showed Bradley why he should be in the starting eleven for the upcoming fixture against England.

Findley was able to create chances that no other player on the US men's national team could. His speed sets him apart from the rest of the strike force, and his lack of composure in front of goal today should not count against him. The US needs to stretch the field against an English defense that will not be fleet of foot, and Jozy Altidore does not have the speed when entirely healthy to do that. On a shoddy ankle, Altidore might be moving about as fast as a rickshaw in sand, or just a bit quicker than Ledley King and Jamie Carragher.

If Findley can stretch the English defense, with the help of some well-timed passing by Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, then Altidore can do the finishing.

If Altidore can't get match fit by Saturday, then we could see the same combo that took the field this morning, although you can guarantee that England, unlike the Socceroos, will be marking Edson Buddle.