Day: June 16, 2006

Mexico might have looked the more dangerous side, but things ended 0-0, as Angola attempt to salvage some African pride. I’m still hoping they manage to get through over the overrated Mexicans.

I just can’t warm to that team. I see nothing.

Surely, one African team must advance. Isn’t it in the rules?

In what clearly was the Group of Death, Holland join Argentina in the second round after getting past Ivory Coast 2-1.

Ivory Coast will probably be the best team that doesn’t advance. Despite the two losses against powerhouses, they looked good in both matches. They had more going for them than Didier Drogba, just not quite enough to make it past two of the best teams in the World Cup.

The Netherlands have shown that as long as they can quit bickering, they’re a force to be reckoned with. However, if any team can get you to start bickering, it’s Argentina–whether the game’s virtually meaningless or not. They play each other next to see who wins the group. Either team should handle Portugal and Mexico, so the order of finish isn’t very important. That could make for a wide-open, pressure-free match between these two entertaining and offensive teams.

After completely destroying a supposedly decent Serbia Montenegro 6-0, Argentina are the best team in the world.

At this minute.

They are playing perfect football right now. Not a weakness to be found. The bench is stocked with loads more talent that we finally got a glimpse of today. Messi and Tavez are stars, forget about starters, on every other team in the world.

You can say they haven’t been tested yet, but neither have any of the other ‘name’ teams. While the rest of them are floundering around and scraping through with 1-0’s, Argentina have been putting on shows.

Stretching to find anything negative to say about Argentina, you could argue that they are peaking too soon. Okay. But I wouldn’t want to play this team.

No one would beat them tomorrow. Whether that’s still true on July 9th, we’ll have to see.