willkommen in deutschland!
four years ago, around this time of the year i started this journal. i remember because four years ago, around this time of the year, i was typing entries about the world cup and who had won this game or that game and who was kicking ass. i remember staying up way late, usually chatting with kim, waiting for the games to begin at, like, three in the morning or something. back then i lived with my parents and didn't have to worry about working or going to summer school or anything, so i would stay up all night and sleep all day after the games were over.
four years later the world cup has finally come again, and here i am with a report...kinda. not that anyone who reads this (besides denise, as i just found out) cares much about football (the real football). but since i don't have anyone to talk to about how all my favorites are doing, what better place?
the favorites, my favorites, and the surprise favorites (at least to me).
(USA, mexico, netherlands, portugal, brazil, spain, czech republic, france, england, germany, italy, argentina.)
of course, this is all based only on each team's first game in the group stages and a few second games. any one of these teams might have had a lucky day, or a bad day. case in point, the united states and mexico.
first and foremost, i have always been a brazil fan (at least since i became a fan of the sport). in korea/japan 2002 i was behind them 100%, but when i saw the united states playing well, and after they made it past the group stage and to the quarter finals (which they lost unfairly to germany) i was proud and my heart was with them. this year, the united states has a better team than they did in 2002, but that doesn't mean anything because almost everyone else also have stronger teams. to keep it short about each team, i'll just say that the united states lost their first game 3-0 to a very, very strong czech republic team. they might not make it to the next stage because their next games are against a strong italy, and then a pretty good ghana team, but i think they'll pull together and at least go out with their heads held high. they might even still make it, depending on how italy does against czech republic.
as for mexico, i've always been on their side as well, being hispanic of mexican descent. they played pretty well on their first game, beating iran 3-1. i have to be honest, though. just like the usa had a bad game, i think mexico had a lucky day. iran isn't a strong side. they're not a bad team, by any means, but they're nothing to get excited about either. mexico plays well one day and bad the next five, and ghana is pretty strong, having held scoring machines, portugal, to only one goal. i don't think mexico are going too far.
netherlands is always a favorite. they have really good individual players, as usual, like van nistelrooij, van persie, cocu, and robben, but they didn't impress me at all in their first game. robben was the only one that played good, and even he pissed me off because he forgot that he had 10 other players on his team and tried to do everything on his own. if their first game is anything to go on, netherlands isn't going too far either.
portugal is always one of my favorite teams, even when they don't have a strong side. this year, however, they have a good team with pauleta scoring like crazy during the qualification stages, cristiano ronaldo's young talent and ambition, and deco and figo's world class running the midfield. no one really counted them amongst the top contenders, and even though they only scored one goal in their first game, they played a decent game. i think they're definitely up there with the best teams this year.
brazil, as i said, are always my favorite team (because i know that mexico and usa won't make it far). their style of play is just so damn exciting. they have the best player in the world at the moment, ronaldinho. they have players that can change a game with a single play, like kaka, ronaldo, and adriano. they didn't impress me in their first game against croatia, though. ronaldo didn't even look like he wanted to be on the field, and ronaldinho had like 3 guys on him all game. i'll admit that croatia is always strong and they're a tough team to play against, but i thought brazil would come out of the game with more than one goal. i still think they're going all the way, but they're going to have to step it up a lot if they want to contend with spain and the czech republic.
spain are also one of my favorites, no matter how they're playing. their captain, raul, is one of my footballing heroes because of his drive and determination. after seeing their first game against a pretty good ukraine team (they have a top scorer in shevchenko), whom they beat 4-0, i am convinced that they are heading to the top. they are at the top of my favorites list so far, and i'm sure they're now at the top of many lists. every single spanish player gave a great performance throughout the whole game. i don't think i have anything bad to say about them. let's hope it stays that way. spain has never won a world cup even though they have the best football league in the world.
the czech republic certainly wasn't anywhere near my favorites lists even though they are ranked number 2 in the world at the moment, mainly because they didn't make it to 2002's world cup. they made it this year and it's no wonder with players like rosicky, nedved, and koller. even though their striker baros is injured, and in their first game koller pulled a hamstring and won't play a few games, they still have a strong side. so far, they're tied for the second best team i've seen in the tournament.
france. what a dissapointing last few years they've had. even since winning the world cup at home in 98, they've gone downhill. not even because they have world class players like henry, zidane, and makelele could they muster up game enough to score against switzerland. they've always been a favorite. this year everyone thought they would come back from their dissapointing 2002 showing in korea/japan, but they've dissapointed yet again in their first game. i think france isn't going anywhere this year either, especially because their next game is against a good looking korean team, who suprised me in their first game with excellent play.
i never really liked england, but this year, with all the hype about wayne rooney and whether he would make a recovery in time to play, i jumped on the band wagon. they have some of the best individual players in the world in lampard, gerrard, the coles and rooney, but they've played two games now, and they still haven't showed anything too great. the first game, they won by one goal, which in the end it turns out it was helped into the net by the paraguayan player. i'll admit that their second game today was a lot better. they fought hard and tried over and over to score until at the very end they did. i can't say whether or not they'll make it far, but they're in the next round now thanks to a win today, so i'll continue to support them and hope they do well.
germany are the host nation, and as such, there are great expectations of them. they did well in their first game, but it was against costa rica, who are now out of the tournament thanks to their second loss handed to them by another big surpriser, ecuador. even though they struggled to score (it took them 91 minutes) in their second game, they're still one of the top teams of the tournament with strong players like klose, lahm, and ballak. with the crowd cheering them on in every game, i think germany will go to the last stages of the tournament.
italy, i think, were tied with the czech republic for second best team. they did a good job against a good defending team, ghana. they showed a really good team and individual effort on the field. they're always contenders for the cup, and prior to the start of the tournament they were considered one of the most likely to topple brazil. they have some of the top player in the world in luca toni, gilardino, pirlo, totti...i think their collective team play will also take them well into the tournament.
argentina were another one of the teams that were picked as a candidate to strip brazil of the cup. i don't remember much of their first game, but they did play a good collective game. no one stood out that i can remember, but they have players like riquelme, sorin and crespo who are sure to carry them at least into the next round. they're definitely in the running for the cup.
******
i'm still favoring brazil, no matter what, but i'd love to see spain get to the end. i hope usa can regroup and play a good game against the italians and against ghana so they can keep a chance to advance. most of all, i hope the games keep getting better and better.
i'm tired, and i have to work tomorrow =( mexico play against angola tomorrow, so let's see if i was right about my comments.
four years later the world cup has finally come again, and here i am with a report...kinda. not that anyone who reads this (besides denise, as i just found out) cares much about football (the real football). but since i don't have anyone to talk to about how all my favorites are doing, what better place?
the favorites, my favorites, and the surprise favorites (at least to me).
(USA, mexico, netherlands, portugal, brazil, spain, czech republic, france, england, germany, italy, argentina.)
of course, this is all based only on each team's first game in the group stages and a few second games. any one of these teams might have had a lucky day, or a bad day. case in point, the united states and mexico.
first and foremost, i have always been a brazil fan (at least since i became a fan of the sport). in korea/japan 2002 i was behind them 100%, but when i saw the united states playing well, and after they made it past the group stage and to the quarter finals (which they lost unfairly to germany) i was proud and my heart was with them. this year, the united states has a better team than they did in 2002, but that doesn't mean anything because almost everyone else also have stronger teams. to keep it short about each team, i'll just say that the united states lost their first game 3-0 to a very, very strong czech republic team. they might not make it to the next stage because their next games are against a strong italy, and then a pretty good ghana team, but i think they'll pull together and at least go out with their heads held high. they might even still make it, depending on how italy does against czech republic.
as for mexico, i've always been on their side as well, being hispanic of mexican descent. they played pretty well on their first game, beating iran 3-1. i have to be honest, though. just like the usa had a bad game, i think mexico had a lucky day. iran isn't a strong side. they're not a bad team, by any means, but they're nothing to get excited about either. mexico plays well one day and bad the next five, and ghana is pretty strong, having held scoring machines, portugal, to only one goal. i don't think mexico are going too far.
netherlands is always a favorite. they have really good individual players, as usual, like van nistelrooij, van persie, cocu, and robben, but they didn't impress me at all in their first game. robben was the only one that played good, and even he pissed me off because he forgot that he had 10 other players on his team and tried to do everything on his own. if their first game is anything to go on, netherlands isn't going too far either.
portugal is always one of my favorite teams, even when they don't have a strong side. this year, however, they have a good team with pauleta scoring like crazy during the qualification stages, cristiano ronaldo's young talent and ambition, and deco and figo's world class running the midfield. no one really counted them amongst the top contenders, and even though they only scored one goal in their first game, they played a decent game. i think they're definitely up there with the best teams this year.
brazil, as i said, are always my favorite team (because i know that mexico and usa won't make it far). their style of play is just so damn exciting. they have the best player in the world at the moment, ronaldinho. they have players that can change a game with a single play, like kaka, ronaldo, and adriano. they didn't impress me in their first game against croatia, though. ronaldo didn't even look like he wanted to be on the field, and ronaldinho had like 3 guys on him all game. i'll admit that croatia is always strong and they're a tough team to play against, but i thought brazil would come out of the game with more than one goal. i still think they're going all the way, but they're going to have to step it up a lot if they want to contend with spain and the czech republic.
spain are also one of my favorites, no matter how they're playing. their captain, raul, is one of my footballing heroes because of his drive and determination. after seeing their first game against a pretty good ukraine team (they have a top scorer in shevchenko), whom they beat 4-0, i am convinced that they are heading to the top. they are at the top of my favorites list so far, and i'm sure they're now at the top of many lists. every single spanish player gave a great performance throughout the whole game. i don't think i have anything bad to say about them. let's hope it stays that way. spain has never won a world cup even though they have the best football league in the world.
the czech republic certainly wasn't anywhere near my favorites lists even though they are ranked number 2 in the world at the moment, mainly because they didn't make it to 2002's world cup. they made it this year and it's no wonder with players like rosicky, nedved, and koller. even though their striker baros is injured, and in their first game koller pulled a hamstring and won't play a few games, they still have a strong side. so far, they're tied for the second best team i've seen in the tournament.
france. what a dissapointing last few years they've had. even since winning the world cup at home in 98, they've gone downhill. not even because they have world class players like henry, zidane, and makelele could they muster up game enough to score against switzerland. they've always been a favorite. this year everyone thought they would come back from their dissapointing 2002 showing in korea/japan, but they've dissapointed yet again in their first game. i think france isn't going anywhere this year either, especially because their next game is against a good looking korean team, who suprised me in their first game with excellent play.
i never really liked england, but this year, with all the hype about wayne rooney and whether he would make a recovery in time to play, i jumped on the band wagon. they have some of the best individual players in the world in lampard, gerrard, the coles and rooney, but they've played two games now, and they still haven't showed anything too great. the first game, they won by one goal, which in the end it turns out it was helped into the net by the paraguayan player. i'll admit that their second game today was a lot better. they fought hard and tried over and over to score until at the very end they did. i can't say whether or not they'll make it far, but they're in the next round now thanks to a win today, so i'll continue to support them and hope they do well.
germany are the host nation, and as such, there are great expectations of them. they did well in their first game, but it was against costa rica, who are now out of the tournament thanks to their second loss handed to them by another big surpriser, ecuador. even though they struggled to score (it took them 91 minutes) in their second game, they're still one of the top teams of the tournament with strong players like klose, lahm, and ballak. with the crowd cheering them on in every game, i think germany will go to the last stages of the tournament.
italy, i think, were tied with the czech republic for second best team. they did a good job against a good defending team, ghana. they showed a really good team and individual effort on the field. they're always contenders for the cup, and prior to the start of the tournament they were considered one of the most likely to topple brazil. they have some of the top player in the world in luca toni, gilardino, pirlo, totti...i think their collective team play will also take them well into the tournament.
argentina were another one of the teams that were picked as a candidate to strip brazil of the cup. i don't remember much of their first game, but they did play a good collective game. no one stood out that i can remember, but they have players like riquelme, sorin and crespo who are sure to carry them at least into the next round. they're definitely in the running for the cup.
******
i'm still favoring brazil, no matter what, but i'd love to see spain get to the end. i hope usa can regroup and play a good game against the italians and against ghana so they can keep a chance to advance. most of all, i hope the games keep getting better and better.
i'm tired, and i have to work tomorrow =( mexico play against angola tomorrow, so let's see if i was right about my comments.