Admit it, if you are like 70% of futbolUSA.net readers then you are American and have no team to cry over, or do you? Everybody watches the Superbowl and everyone has their own pick, right? So yes, it's bandwagon time. It's time to side with your favorite non-local team. Plenty of favorites to choose from:
Is it everyone's favorite, Brazil?
Are you happy with a young team playing smart soccer? We have Germany for you.
Do you like soccer Gods? Maradona, Messi and Argentina are there.
Do you want a star-studded, fast-paced game? Spain is the right team.
How about underachievers? Holland is a nice match.
First-timers by default? Paraguay is a good bet.
And how does a one-two attacking-punch plus dirty defense sound? Like Uruguay.
Underdogs can be fun to root for, no? Yes, that would be Ghana.
It's easy to choose the favorites for each match. Brazil has had no problem with Holland in the past. In fact, this match is a direct replay of another quarterfinal--in 1994. Romario and Bebeto scored, Bergkamp and Winter rescued the Dutch and Branco sealed the deal for the South Americans. Oh, that baby-swing celebration was trademarked by Bebeto when he scored. Truth is Holland lacks the arguments in its defense to cope with Brazil. Brazil doesn't. Not with Lucio, Dani Alves, Juan working the back line.
Argentina-Germany is a "final adelantada." A final in 1986 and 1990. Argentina won it first, followed by German vengeance the second time around. In 2006 they also met in the quarterfinals. Germany prevailed on penalty kicks. They were at home, don't forget that.
Spain-Paraguay will give us a first-time semifinalist or the final return of a giant. Paraguay had never made it to the quarterfinals. Now is their chance to write more history. Spain claimed fourth place in 1950. If Paraguay can play like Bob Bradley's squad last summer (and the Swiss on Spain's opening game) then they certainly stand a chance. Watch out for Villa, though. It seems like he wants the golden boot.
Finally there's the match we all thought the Americans should have had. Uruguay-Ghana. Uruguay's footballing history ended in 1970's semifinal. They did win it all in the inaugural tournament (1930) and in Brazil (1950) against the Ademir's host nation. Ghana is an entirely different kind of team. No history beyond the Olympics, one previous World Cup (2006) and an entire continent behind them. Win and they make history. Lose and they stop where other African nations have stopped prior to this tournament (Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002).
The World Cup belongs to UEFA and CONMEBOL...always. Not once has a team from Asia, Africa or North and Central America won the cup. Further, no African or Concacaf team has made it to a final. Only South Korea has made it to the semifinal in the modern era, and their participation at that stage may be due to favorable officiating. Oh, USA did make it to the semifinal, but in 1930. It's safe to say that 99.9% of Americans even knew that soccer existed. Everyone was watching baseball anyway.
So let's revise history a bit. If we look at Mexico, their best results were reaching the quarterfinals in 1970 and 1986. Are those familiar dates? They should be, they were the tournaments hosted by Mexico. And the United States? They have also stopped short at the quarterfinals...in 2002. This after first coming back to the world stage in 1990, with a round of 16 appearance when they hosted the World Cup in 1994.
Can we blame USA and Mexico's exits from the World Cup on battling stronger, legendary foes? Partly. For Mexico, starting with 1986, Germany defeated them on penalties (1-4). They were absent in 1990 due to disciplinary reasons. In 1994 it was eventual-semifinalists Bulgaria that ousted them in the round of 16. Was that a top competition? At the time, no. They lost on penalties, again, after Hristo Stoichkov scored a beautiful tying goal on Jorge Campos. After that it was Germany in 1998, USA in 2002, and Argentina in 2006 and 2010. You can make a case for top competition in 3 out of 4 of those tournaments. The match against the USA was a toss-up, especially since the two teams know each other well. However, in this match they were beaten 2-0 and not in penalties.
What about USA? If we discount the times they failed to make it out of group play (1990, 1998, 2006), they also faced top competition in 2 our of 3 of the corresponding games (Brazil in 1994 and Germany in 2002). Brazil won the cup in 1994 and Germany reached the final in 2002. Yes, that penalty against the USA shouldn't have counted on that fateful quarterfinal against the three-time world champs. And in the current World Cup? We can say that Ghana isn't top competition but they were in Africa and level in strength.
Let's look at South Africa a bit closer. In the words of the great Mauro Velasquez Villacis, neither Mexico or USA beat anybody. What about France? We can all agree that France was in shambles due to internal strife. Mexico couldn't defeat the host nation and fell to Uruguay, which set up a match against Argentina. USA also didn't beat anyone; Algeria isn't really considered a world power.
Mexicans and Americans may both make reference to non-World Cup tournaments such as the Confederations Cup or U-17 and U-20 tournaments. Mexico may have won the Confederations Cup in 1999 (they were hosts) and the USA may have reached the final in 2009, but let's face it, these do not compare to the World Cup. And when you throw in Mexico's U-17 championship in 2005 and USA may have reached the semifinals in 1999 I say this: youth tournaments almost never reflect the senior team. As an example, USA defeated Brazil in 2007 by the score of 2-1. The senior team has defeated them once in the last 20 years, and on home soil on a non-World Cup match.
There is still plenty of room for evolution of the Concacaf region. The Mexican Primera is a quality league and MLS is catching up to the world. Players from the region are also beginning to populate European leagues. If Ghana were to reach the semifinal in 2010, it will be a victory for the continent. It may not be long before USA or Mexico reach the semifinals and it may also take a hosting of the tournament by one of the two countries. If USA hosts in 2018 or 2022 things may go their way, especially since Mexico is essentially at home in this country. Until then, however, Concacaf will continue to lag behind.
For such a small country, the Netherlands sure packs a superb punch. Maybe this is why their nickname is the "Clockwork Orange" or "Naranja Mecanica." Twice runners up in the 1970s with losses to Gerd Muller's West Germany in Germany 1974 and to Mario Kempes' Argentina in Argentina 1978.
Indeed, the 1970s marked the start of "total football," first pioneered by Ajax's Johan Cruyff and head coach Rinus Michaels. Out of that came a fast-paced, box-to-box style that overwhelmed opposing sides when the entire team surged forward in attack. Out of this controlled madness came players like Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Ronald Koeman, Frank Rijkaard, Denis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf.
Our story here begins with Italia 1990. Those were the days of Ruud Gullit, Van Basten and Ronald Koeman. Having won the 1988 Euros, Holland was riding high and ready to win its first World Cup. To my untrained eyes, Gullit was the Dutch sensation. "Did you know he scored a goal with his chest?" someone uttered once in a lunch break soccer scrimmage. We watched the team stumble into the round of 16 after tying three games (England, Ireland, Egypt), and without a single goal from maestro van Basten. There, they met eventual-champions West Germany. The game was gritty, dirty Euro-style football. Germany won thanks to Klinsmann and Brehme. Koeman would score a consolation penalty in the 89th. This match also had a bit of controversy with a spitting incident between Rijkaard and Voller.
In USA 1994, The Netherlands was considered a contender once more. They would have to do without Gullit (on strike) and van Basten (injury). Bergkamp would step up and deliver a masterful performance with 3 goals that took them all the way to the quarterfinals. They would first face an interesting group stage: Belgium, Saudi Arabia, Morocco. This was quite an interesting group. Belgium, Holland and Saudi Arabia all got 6 points (2 wins) and same goal differential. The Dutch would defeat both the Saudis and Morrocans but would fall short against Belgium. Bergkamp and Jonk would both score versus Ireland in the second round. Their final match in 1994 came against eventual-champions Brazil. It was probably the best match of the tournament. Twice Brazil scored through Romario and Bebeto, only to be followed by strikes from Bergkamp and Winter. A long-range free kick from Branco sealed he 3-2 scoreline in favor of the Amazonians.
France 1998 came around and Holland was again a contender. Now they had players like the De Boer brothers, Cocu and Overmars. They faced Belgium in the opening match (0-0 draw). Their second game was a scintillating performance against a limited South Korean team (5-0). Feisty Mexico put up a fight and "El Matador" Hernandez tied the game 2-2 in extra time. A match against Yugoslavia awaited them in the round of 16. It would take an injury time goal from Edgar Davids to defeat the Balkan squad. What followed was perhaps one of the best matches of '98: Netherlands - Argentina. Kluivert opened the score and the Argentineans would tie the game thanks to "El Piojo" Lopez. An ill-timed ejection of Ortega, coupled with a wonder goal from Bergkamp, sent the Dutch to the semifinals. A re-match of the '94 quarterfinal versus Brazil would follow. Scores by Ronaldo and Kluivert meant the game would go to penalties. Brazil would win it once again thanks to misses by Cocu and Ronald de Boer. Holland would settle for 4th place after a loss to Davor Suker's Croatia.
Much to the surprise of the entire footballing world, Netherlands failed to qualify for 2002. The Dutch were placed in the group of death in Germany '06: Argentina, Cote D'Ivoire and Serbia & Montenegro were the opponents. They defeated Serbia in the first game. The second game, against fellow orange-wearing Ivory Coast was a memorable experience for me. I happened to be in Amsterdam for the match and saw a sea of orange everywhere I walked. That evening, I got me a cheap knock-off van Nistelroy shirt and wore it to a packed restaurant to watch the match. Holland would prevail 2-1. They would subsequently tie Argentina 0-0. The Netherlands were eventually booted off the tournament by Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the round of 16.
What's next for the Netherlands? Familiar foes Denmark, dangerous Cameroon and tricky Japan. Expect them to breeze through the group stage. Some stars to watch include Heitinga (Everton), van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), Sneijder (Inter), van der Vaart (Real Madrid), Kuyt (Liverpool), van Persie (Arsenal), Robben (Bayern Munich).
South Korea were always the perennial Asian representatives in the World Cup, and even though I don't remember them from 1986, I remember them fondly as a fast, tireless crew. South Korea has appeared in the tournament on seven occasions before. They became the first and only Asian team to reach the semifinals and have won the Asian Cup in 1956 and 1960.
Memories of 1990 are scarce since they were deemed to be one of the "easy teams" in the tournament. They played the part and went three and out in the tournament losing games to Uruguay, Belgium and Spain.
In USA 94, things were a bit different. Korea had evolved into a firepower in Asia and also due to increased domestic play. They had an impressive match against Spain, coming back in the final five minutes to tie the game 2-2. They had a chance at surpassing the group stage with a victory against lowly Bolivia but they were thwarted by the "altiplano" side and settled for a scoreless tie. Next came a game against champions Germany. The game was set to be a slaughter as Klinsmann and crew were up 3-0 on the scoreboard at the half. The Koreans fought back just as they had against Spain and scored two goals early in the second half, giving them enough breathing space to dream. It was not to be however, but it did expose Germany's weaknesses (which Bulgaria would exploit later in the tournament).
Going into France 98 knowing they would play co-hosts in 2002 made the South Koreans hungry for good results. However, they were pitted against world veterans Holland, Mexico and Bulgaria. Two losses by wide margins against Mexico and Netherlands sank their hopes of advancing. A tie against Belgium was only a consolation.
If Asia as a whole was deemed to be the weakest confederation (outside of Oceania), then 2002 would prove us all wrong. Both Korea and Japan capitalized on home-field advantage and Korea would take their game all the way to the semifinals. 2002 was also the time for Park Ji-Sung to step into the spotlight (now a regular with Manchester United). Korea is actually a pretty special memory in this tournament since they were pitted against the USA. A dominant 2-0 win against Poland set them up for a decisive match against the Americans (which had beaten "contenders" Portugal). They started losing that match thanks to a goal from Clint Mathis but they would come back to tie the game. The last group game was against Portugal and all three teams (Portugal, USA and Korea) were depending on the outcome of the match. Park's goal in the 70th minute dispatched Luis Figo's side and, at the same time sealed their place in the second round, as well as the Americans.
This is certainly where the magic (and controversy) begins. Korea was pitted against three-time world cup winners, Italy, in their first game outside of group play. Christian Vieri's early goal was a dagger in the hearts of Korean fans, but, true to their fighting ways in 1994, Hyeon's goal in the 88th sent the game into extra time. Frencesco Totti would be ejected on a second-yellow for a soft dive in the area that would have resulted in an Italian PK. Later, Tomassi would be ruled offside although he clearly wasn't. Jung-Hwang would make it 2-1 in the 117th minute, unleashing a festival in the streets. Asia finally had a team in quarterfinals. The game's result was largely blamed on Ecuador's own Byron Moreno (the referee), and conspiracy theories suggested that FIFA wanted Italy out and Korea in to ensure a host nation would advance in the tournament.
Korea's game against Spain would spark further controversy, as it was Byron Moreno officiating once more. The game ended 0-0 and went to penalties, where the host nation prevailed. Their semifinal game against Germany resulted in a loss thanks to a late goal by Michael Ballack. Their luck also seemed to have run out when they lost the 3rd place match against Turkey.
In 2006, Korea was armed with several weapons playing their trade both domestically and in European teams. They were pitted against France, Switzerland and Togo. It started well for the Koreans, beating newcomers Togo and tying a struggling (at that point) French team. An eventual loss to Switzerland proved to be the difference, as France ended with 5 points, the Swiss with 7, and Korea with 4.
In 2010 they will play against Argentina, Greece and Nigeria in what could be considered a group of death of sorts (mid weight considering the South Americans play of late). Park is hoping to take his stellar Premier League game to new heights and the Asians are out to prove that they can advance in a World Cup outside of their own soil. Also in the team are Sung-Yong of Celtic, Chun-Yong of Bolton and Kim Nam-Il of Tom Tomks (Russia).
Ever since Italia '90, Africa has had a special place in my futbol heart. It was a win by Cameroon versus Argentina on opening day that changed everything. Then came Nigeria in 1994, ready to build on Cameroon's improbable run to quarterfinals four years before. Nigeria played wonderful soccer and did not disappoint, even if they couldn't make it past the round of 16.
It certainly all starts with 1994, but Nigeria always had football in their hearts. Their first "competitive" match came while still an English colony in 1949. They would not see much success until the 1980s as more of their players joined European clubs. This was limited to one AFC Cup of Nations in 1980 and a couple of finals in '84 and '88, where they lost to Cameroon. Their junior team, U-23s, won the gold medal in Atlanta '96, reafirming Africa's place in world football royalty. Kanu, presently still with the team, captained the team.
Nigeria made their first World Cup appearance in USA '94 and opened the tournament against Hristo Stoichkov's Bulgaria. They impressed, much as Cameroon had in Italy four years before, by defeating Bulgaria 3-0, then facing Argentina in a hard-fought loss (1-2), before ending their group phase with a 2-0 victory versus Greece. It was Yekini's goal celebration versus Bulgaria that became the trademark of African soccer in 1994. Nigeria's next game came against Italy. They were winning for most of the game until Baggio tied it up in regulation time before with a penalty before securing the Azzurri's victory with another spot kick in overtime.
Looking to build on their impressive, albeit short, participation in 1994, Nigeria entered France '98 with certain optimism. They would not disappoint. Easily the most memorable game from that tournament came when the "Super Eagles" faced Spain in their first game. A final 3-2 score after coming back twice from being a goal down sentenced Spain's chances of advancing through to the round of 16. They would win against Bulgaria once more but would lose to Paraguay in the last game of group play. An unfortunate 1-4 loss to Denmark followed and they exited the tournament after the second round.
After two impressive World Cups, Nigeria was prepared for a third when they were placed in the group of death: Argentina, Holland, and England. They would salvage only a tie versus England in the last game. Losses to Argentina and Holland in hard-fought matches weren't enough.
Next for Nigeria is a more accessible group that includes 2004 Euro champs Greece, mighty Argentina, and always-difficult South Korea. Veteran Kanu seeks to erase past memories with a good outing. Mikel Obi of Chelsea and Obafemi Martins of Wolfsburg are headliners, as is Yobo from Everton. This is a highly-contested World Cup group, but advantage is in Nigeria's side based on some of their more prominent players.
If you are a futbol fan, then Argentina is always on the top of your list for players, teams, history and superstars. Who can forget Basile, Mario Kempes, Caniggia, Goycochea, Batistuta, Ortega, Sensini, and of course, Maradona?
Argentina is one of the most successful teams in the world, having won 19 different international titles spanning the Copa America (14), Olympic games (2), Confederations Cup (1) and the World Cup (2).
Argentina's World Cup adventures starts with Uruguay 1930, when the host country defeated them in the final to become the first ever champions. The "Albicelestes " have been in 3 other finals since that tournament. It would not be until they hosted the World Cup in 1978 that they reached a final and won the title. They were the hosts and boasted the great Mario Kempes. Argentina '78 was one of the most controversial tournaments (aside from England '66). Argentina needed a win and a lot of goals to get past Peru in order to make the final. Some say that the 6-0 score resulted from bribery.
My memories of Argentina begin, understandably, with 1986. I knew about the "Hand of God" in the Argentina-England game. Clearly one of the best games of all time. Maradona would score once with his hand and once on an incredible run from his own half to beat midfielders, defenders and goalie to score their second of the match. Gary Lineker would score for England. 2-1. Probably the game I remember the most from that tournament (aside from Brazil-France) has to be the final against West Germany. It was Basualdo, Burruchaga, Maradona, Valdano against Brehme, Rummeniege, Voller. After going up on the scoreboard 2-0, Argentina were well on their way to their second title. Germany would come roaring back. Burruchaga's strike in the 83rd would seal their win with a goal that left the goalie lying flat on the ground.. forever imprinted in my mind.
Italia ’90 was different. Argentina were the champions and Maradona was a legend. It would all come crashing down in the first game. It was Cameroon and Oman-Biyik that proved Argentina wasn’t the same from 1986. They would lose to the Africans by 1-0. They would bounce back, however, beating the Soviet Union and tying Romania. They qualified as one of the best 3rd places. Then came Brazil in the round of 16. A South America clasico. Caniggia in the 80th minute that silenced the “Cariocas.” That had to be one of the better games of the tournament. Argentina went on to defeat Yugoslavia in penalties as well as the hosts, Italy, on penalties once more. Goycochea, the Argentina goalie, made the difference. The final, a reprisal of the ’86 final, saw them face Germany. This was a match of special significance for me. I sided with Germany whilst the rest of my family were with Argentina. This was mostly since I was enrolled in a German school. Andreas Brehme, the charismatic defender, sentenced the match in a controversial penalty. Maradona cried as he received the silver medal. Lothar Mathaus rejoiced as he lifted the cup.
In USA ’94, Argentina succumbed to forces outside their control. Maradona, after playing inspired matches versus Greece and Nigeria, test positive for doping and was banned from competition. This marked the beginning of the end of Diego’s career as a player. Argentina would not get past Hagi’s Romania. The score was 3-2.
Fresh from rough years for the national team, Argentina would once again be considered a contender in France ’98. It was Batistuta and Ariel Ortega (regarded as the new Maradona) that would help the team to win their group. In the round of 16, Argentina faced England in a reprisal of the ’86 quarterfinal. At this time, Michael Owen stepped onto the big stage, as did some guy named David Beckham. Alan Shearer and Owen scored for the English whilst Batistuta and Zanetti scored for Argentina. This had to be one of the more entertaining matches in the tournament. Owen’s goal was particularly impressive. Argentina would win on penalties, but Becks’ red card may have played a role. In the quarterfinals it was Denis Bregkamp of the Netherlands that exacted revenge for the 1978 final. Argentina was bounced from the tournament.
In Korea-Japan 2002, Argentina landed in the group of death. They faced England, Sweden and Nigeria. After defeating the Nigerians, the “gauchos” would lose to England thanks to a Beckham free kick in a match worth remembering for the England international. Batistuta and Crespo couldn’t do enough against Sweden and they were sent home after the group stage.
During the last World Cup in Germany, Argentina once again emerged as favorites. They were once again in the group of death, except this time they came out victorious. Their rivals were Serbia, Ivory Coast and the Netherlands. They would tie Netherlands and win the other games. In the round of 16, it was a familiar rival, Mexico, that stood in their way. The Mexicans were playing impressive soccer and went up on the scoreboard 1-0 thanks to a Rafa Marquez goal. Argentina would tie it up right away thanks to a Hernan Crespo goal. Maxi Rodriguez’s goal in overtime saw them qualify for the quarterfinals. It was now Germany, the host team, that ultimately defeated the Argentines in penalty kicks after Cambiasso and Ayala failed to score. Some blame Peckerman’s refusal to start a much younger Messi in the games.
In 2010, it will be MaraMessi or MessiDona that may be the difference. They have an “easy” group comprised of Nigeria, Greece and Korea.
Besides having Mexico '86 being the first World Cup I remember, Mexico is one of those teams that I have continuously followed throughout my young life as a soccer fan. In 1986, I remember that Germany faced and defeated them in the quarterfinals en route to the final versus Argentina. They (Mexico) lost that game on penalties. It was a heartbreak for a proud soccer nation. On to the 1990s. The team was absent in 1990 due to a suspension after using players over the age limit allowed by FIFA in the qualifying round for the Olympic Games in Seoul 1988. In 1994, they returned to the world stage and won the "group of death" that included Norway, Italy and Ireland. Those were the days of Jorge "el Brody" Campos on goal with his exceedingly colorful goalkeeper kits. Mostly, though, I remember Hristo Stoichkov's quick strike against Campos (his hands failing to make good contact with the ball.
On to 1998. Not many memories here of the Mexicans... except for the fact that, after a good first round in which they qualified second but with equal points as Holland, they once again faced Germany. The paternity continued and the Germans ousted the Aztecs once more.
Now comes the fun part: 2002. This tournament had both Ecuador (my birthplace) and the US (my home) and I followed both teams very closely. Ecuador was participating in the event for the first time in its history. The US was looking to make amends for a disastrous 1998. The tournament was in a neutral location in Asia. It would be Mexico's time to shine. After a 1-0 victory over always-difficult Croatia, they headed for a game against newbies Ecuador. Agustin Delgado's goal for the Ecuadoreans early in the first half was only temporary. Mexico would dominate the game and eventually would win it by 2-1. They would then go on to tie Italy 1-1 with a wonder goal from Jared Borgetti. Mexico was riding high once more, having won its group, and went on to face a familiar foe in the round of 16: USA. This was a defining moment for the US national team, as they went on to defeat the Aztecs 2-0, and one of the hardest defeats for Mexico. The score still hurts up to this day. "Dos a cero" is a phrase they won't soon forget.
Mexico once again qualified for the World Cup in 2006. They were one of the eight seeded teams for this tournament due to their previous achievements in the Confederations Cup and the Copa America. They faced Angola, Iran and Portugal. Iran was the easier of the three foes and the Mexicans went on to defeat them 3-1. They subsequently tied Angola and lost to Portugal but still made it to the second round. Here, after a hard-fought 90 minute battle against always-favorite Argentina, Maxi Rodrigez struck a perfect volley in extra time to hand Argentina the victory.
Mexico has a wealth of stars playing abroad and in the domestic league. Some include Rafa Marquez of Barcelona, Vela of Arsenal, Guardado of Deportivo, Salcido of PSV. Their group matchup against hosts South Africa, Uruguay and France may seem like one of the lighter groups with plenty of chances for them to sneak into the second round. Never underestimate the hosts or former champs Uruguay and France. This is an exciting group and the Mexicans will be one of the favorites as giants of the world football scene.
Borgetti's goal. Easily one of my favorites of all time:
Admit it, if you are like 70% of futbolUSA.net readers then you are American and have no team to cry over, or do you? Everybody watches the Superbowl and everyone has their own pick, right? So yes, it's bandwagon time. It's time to side with your favorite non-local team. Plenty of favorites to choose from:
It's easy to choose the favorites for each match. Brazil has had no problem with Holland in the past. In fact, this match is a direct replay of another quarterfinal--in 1994. Romario and Bebeto scored, Bergkamp and Winter rescued the Dutch and Branco sealed the deal for the South Americans. Oh, that baby-swing celebration was trademarked by Bebeto when he scored. Truth is Holland lacks the arguments in its defense to cope with Brazil. Brazil doesn't. Not with Lucio, Dani Alves, Juan working the back line.
