Jens, The Best of What Germans Do Best

Germany had a magical win against Argentina, falling behind for the first time in the entire tournament until Miroslav Klose got his first World Cup goal in the knockout stage with an 80th minute header. After 30 minutes of extra time, it came down to penalty kicks. The Germans had a decisive advantage with keeper Jens Lehmann, who was part of the reason behind Arsenal's 995 minute run without allowing a goal in the Champions League.

Argentina had their 2nd stringer, Leonardo Franco in to face the Germans. All four of the Germans that shot, hit. Lehmann, on the other hand, stopped half the shots he faced, and read correctly each shot.

Germany wins on PKs and will face either Italy or Ukraine.

USA Still Alive

America's somewhat impressive 1-1 draw with Italy has kept them alive. Combined with Ghana's surprising victory over the Czech Republic, the Group of Death will come down to the final matchday with all 4 teams having a chance to advance. The possible scenarios:

USA defeats Ghana, Czech Republic defeats Italy: Czech Republic wins group, Italy and USA tie for 2nd, goal differential determines who advances. At the moment, the US's goal differential is -3, Italy's is +2.

USA defeats Ghana, Czech Republic and Italy draw: Italy wins group, Czech Republic and USA tie for 2nd. Czechs have a goal differential of +1, so we'd need to beat Ghana by 4 goals if the Czech score 1 or 0, and 5 goals if they score more.

USA defeats Ghana, Italy defeats Czech Republic: Italy wins group, USA finishes 2nd. Czech and Ghana tie for 3rd.

Ghana defeats USA, Czech Republic defeats Italy: Czech Republic and Ghana tie for 1st, Italy finishes 3rd, USA 4th.

Ghana defeats USA, Czech Republic ties Italy: Ghana wins group, Italy finishes 2nd, Czech 3rd, US 4th.

Ghana defeats USA, Italy defeats Czech Republic: Italy wins group, Ghana finishes 2nd, Czech 3rd, USA 4th.

USA ties Ghana, Czech Republic defeats Italy: Czech Republic wins group, Ghana and Italy tie for 2nd. Ghana's goal differential would be even, Italy would have to lose by 2 to match that, which means it would come down to total goals scored.

USA ties Ghana, Czech Republic ties Italy: Italy wins group, Czech Republic and Ghana tie, but Czech would advance with better goal differential.

USA ties Ghana, Italy defeats Czech Republic: Italy wins group, Ghana finishes 2nd, Czech 3rd, USA 4th.

So 3 teams have a chance to win the group, and all 4 teams have a chance to advance.

The final matches of the group will occur simultaneously on the 22nd.

The following teams have advanced to the knockout stage: Germany, Ecuador, England, Argentina, The Netherlands, Portugal, and Brazil. As of yet, no team has clinched a group victory.

Something I've noticed about the 2006 World Cup so far is the massive amount of yellow and red cards. In the 26 matches played so far, there have been 143 yellow cards issued and 10 reds. That's 5.5 yellows a match, and a red card pretty much every other match. In the 2002 World Cup, there only about 4 yellows a game, and a red every 4th match. As demonstrated in the Italy-US match, the refs have been very willing to dig into their pockets and pull the plastic out.

England and Ecuador Advance

It took England over 80 minutes to score against Trinidad & Tobago. They netted 2-0 to secure advancement into the Knockout Stages. I can't say I'm very much impressed with one of the supposed favorites of the competition. It took them more than 170 minutes to score a goal of their own, and it was against a relatively hapless Trinidad & Tobago side.

Another advancing team was Ecuador. They crushed Costa Rica 3-0 and will play Germany to determine the winner of the Group. Because of goal differential, Germany needs to win the match to win the group. Ecuador will win it with a victory or a tie. Of course, Poland, and Costa Rica are mathematically eliminated from advancement.

If Sweden does not win in their match against Paraguay today, England will clinch victory in Group B. This means they would face the 2nd place team from Group A, which very well might e Germany. What a clash that would be. Their last competitive match was in qualifying for the 2002 World Cup.

Best Goal of the Cup Thus Far

Oliver Neuville's goal in added time in the Poland/Germany match has been the best goal of the competition so far. Not only was it spectacular, it was perfectly timed for dramatic maximization, and its impact was tremendous. The goal gave Germany a 1-0 win over Poland, and catapults the hosts into the Knockout Stages. It also ended any reasonable hope Poland had for advancing past the Group Stage.

The atmosphere for this game was more intense than the opener in Munich. Perhaps this was due to border-rivalry with Poland, or perhaps it was due to the typically raucous environment provided by Dortmund's stadium.

This was the 15th time Poland and Germany met on the pitch, and it was Germany's 11th win, to go along with 4 ties.

The Germans had multiple scoring opportunities and were off target on all of them until added time in the 2nd half. They hit the crossbar twice and had numerous near misses. The addition of Michael Ballack to their lineup appeared to strengthen the entire squad. The defense did not have such remarkable lapses as they did in the opener against Costa Rica.

Germany will play Ecuador in Berlin on the 20th. Poland will play Costa Rica in Hanover on the same day.

Just some cool pics from Deutschland:





This is my favorite one:


In other news, the United States was utterly embarrassed by the Czech Republic. The Czechs were the favorite, but I don't think anyone expected them to dominate the Americans as easily as they did. New Arsenal addition Tomas Rosicky hit the back of the net twice to earn Man of the Match honours in his country's 3-0 victory.

The US is now in dire straits. In order to win the Group, they must beat Ghana and Italy, and hope the Czechs do not win another match. This probably will not happen.

The US is not completely out of it, though. If we can beat Italy, then we have a good shot at advancement to the Knockout Stages.

Brazil won their first match 1-0 against Croatia. They're not the first heavily favored team to have a not so overwhelming victory in their first game. Also in their group, Australia beat Japan 3-1.

In Group G, France surprisingly played to a scoreless tie with the Swiss. Thierry Henry had a few good opportunities, but could not finish. South Korea came from behind at halftime to beat Togo 2-1.

Spain had the most dominating victory thus far in the Cup by beating the Ukraine 4-0. Also in Group H, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia tied 2-2. Saudi Arabia looked better than they did 4 years ago when they were the joke of the Cup.

Powerhouses Winning in Group Stage

Although there has yet to be a blowout, and the largest margin of victory has been 2 goals in the 8 games played, thus far the powerhouses of football/soccer have all escaped first round upset. The only surprise in the 1st round so far was Poland's 2-0 loss to Ecuador, hardly shocking upset.

Argentina beat the Ivory Coast 2-1 with an 82nd minute goal being the African side's only score. The Netherlands beat Serbia and Montenegro 1-0 to earn 3 points in Group C. Portugal defeated Angola 1-0, Mexico crushed Iran 3-1. In Group B, the first tie of the Cup saw Trinidad & Tobago go scoreless along with Sweden. This result further ensures England's victory in the Group. If England wins one more of its matches in Group B, ll they have to do is tie in the other match in order to secure victory.

Tomorrow will see The Group of Death, Group D kick off. Italy will face Ghana and the US will face the Czech Republic. Ghana shouldn't be a match for Italy, but the US/CR game will probably be a great one. Both teams are talented, and both teams need to win this game in order to win the group. I think it will end in a 2-2 draw and will be a great contest.

Thus far, there have been no major riots and very few arrests. This might be due to the fact that major rival teams have yet to face each other.

Own Goal Gives England 1-0 Lead

England is the second giant in the tournament to suffer a "disappointing win." Yesterday, Germany allowed the Costa Ricans to stick around late in the game before going up 4-2. Today, England didn't even score a goal against Paraguay.

An own goal 4 minutes into the match gave England a 1-0 lead, and 86 minutes later gave them a 1-0 victory. Wayne Rooney did not play in the match, but was on the bench. Considering the fact that England led almost throughout the entire contest, there wasn't much of a need for him to play. Frank Lampard was named Man of the Match.

England's win over Paraguay is a huge step in securing victory in Group B. England will face Trinidad & Tobago in a mismatch on the 15th. They'll then play Sweden on the 20th. England's strange 1-0 goal has all but won them their Group, in my opinion.

In other news, Germany Captain and midfielder Michael Ballack will reportedly return to the lineup against Poland. Although Germany rolled offensively in their opening match, Ballack's replacement was hardly noticeable on the pitch.

Day 1: Germany Escapes Threat, Poland Dissapoints

Germany came out of Matchday 1 with a 4-2 win over Costa Rica, but there was an air of disappointment and worry in the Allianz Stadium in Munich. The 2 goals Costa Rica scored were avoidable. Germany's defense seemed to lack communication and allowed Wanchope to get by the offside trap and score twice. Miroslav Klose once again had a great opening match to the World Cup, scoring 2 goals. He scored a hat trick 4 years ago against Saudi Arabia to begin Germany's campaign.

In Gelsenkirchen, Poland disappointed thousands of fans who crossed the border into Germany hoping to see their countrymen beat Ecuador. Instead they watched Poland fail to mount any serious offensive onslaught and fall to the South American squad in an upset. Poland is now in a good deal of trouble. They still have to play Germany and Costa Rica, and Costa Rica doesn't look like a pushover squad.

Germany will face Poland on the 14th in Dortmund, and Costa Rica will square off against Ecuador in Hamburg on the next day.

Tomorrow, England begins their World Cup against Paraguay in Frankfurt. This is an awesome picture from Frankfurt:



These are English and German fans being separated by German police. In case you didn't know, Germany and England are HUGE rivals.

Also tomorrow, Trinidad & Tobago faces Sweden. Argentina will face the Ivory Coast.

DEUTSCHLAND, DEUTSCHLAND, UBER ALLES!!!

Germany will win the World Cup this year. Mark my words.

Here is their path to the World Cup. They're in a pretty lackluster Group with Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Poland. Poland is a solid team, but Germany should roll over them easier than they did in 1939. Horse calvary against tanks, man.

So Germany will win Group A and go on to play the 2nd place team from Group B, which is England's group. This will probably be Paraguay, a good team, but no match for Germany.

After that, they'll play either the winner of Group C, or the 2nd place team in Group D. Argentina SHOULD win Group C, and the 2nd place team in Group D is a coin flip between Portugal and an improved Mexico side. I think Argentina will be the team in this match and Germany can handle them to win 2-1.

In the semi-finals, I think Germany will be playing against France. The French are tough and have some amazing playmakers, but with the home crowd, I think Germany will hold them off in order to advance to the finals.

Who do I think Germany will play in the finals? Brazil. Brazil is probably the toughest team in the tournament, but I think a great match will see Germany narrowly win.

Germany has two powerful weapons, the home crowd, and Jens Lehmann. The crowd support will be impressive to say the least. Once Germany rolls over the weaker teams in their group, the support will be even more overwhelming.

Germany has the best combo of goalkeepers in the world in Lehmann and Oliver Kahn. Lehmann will start and hope to continue his run of clean sheets racked up in the Champions League against the best players in the world. If he can keep teams like Real Madrid and Juventus from scoring, he is capable of preventing teams like Poland, France, Argentina, and Brazil from hitting the back of the net.

Germany's defense will play tight and fundamentally sound as always. Ballack in midfield and Klose up front won't mesmerize like Ronaldhino and Ronaldo, but they'll play solid football and score enough goals to push the team forward through the competition. Germany's mastery of set-pieces will also come into play.

If Germany does win it all, that country will erupt.

Oh To, Oh To Be, Oh To Be A Gooner

I don't think I've ever been prouder to be a fan of the Arsenal FC. The Gunners lost their first ever Champions League final 2-1 to a diving Barcelona team, aided by a Norwegian officiating crew. However, the Gunners played their hearts out and left absolutely everything on the pitch.

Arsenal nearly took a lead just 4 minutes into the match. Henry had a fantastic chance but it wasn't to be. Barcelona drove forward in the 17th minute. Eto'o broke free of Arsenal's defense and appeared to get past Lehmann, but Germany's new #1 took down Eto'o by the ankle. Although Barca appeared to score on the play, the referees ruled the ball was dead and Lehmann would be sent off. He was the first player to be given the red card in a European final.



Although the score was still level at 0-0, Arsenal were down to 10 men. Manuel Almunia came in to replace Lehmann and Frenchman Robert Pires was taken out just 19 minutes into what will probably be his last game in Arsenal colours.

Barcelona went on the attack, but were stifled nicely by Arsenal's defence and Almunia, who started his outing looking very sharp. Then in the 37th minute, Arsenal had a free kick from just outside the box. The ball went up, and was headed in by Sol Cambell who seemed to jump 20 feet in the air to knock it into the net. 1-0 to the Arsenal.



Barcelona still attempted to press their advantage. The end of the second half saw them an almost constant threat to score an equalizer. Being down to 10 men, and with the lead, Arsenal had little choice but to play a very defensive and conservative brand of football. It worked out nicely for most of the match, but it would be their undoing.

The second half began where the first ended, with Barcelona attacking. The Arsenal defense remained stalwart, and Ronaldhino fucking up every time he had the ball in the box helped Arsenal's cause. My eyes were glued to the clock, hoping and praying Arsenal could hang on.

The Gunners actually had some golden opportunities to score an insurance goal. Henry and Ljunberg had strikes of lightning, but Victor Valdes kept it a 1-0 game. Arsenal were impeded offensively by their conservative play. They had little choice. They couldn't send too many men forward because they only had 10 men on the pitch.

Arsenal held on valiantly, but eventually they were exhausted. Playing defensive football against a team like Barcelona (a team which doesn't make it easy to play that way thanks to their diving abilities) would wear down any team. Barcelona eventually shot home 2 goals in 4 minutes to go up 2-1 and claim the Champions League title.

Arsenal hadn't allowed a goal in 995 minutes of Champions League play. That record will most likely stand forever. The Arsenal beat Ajax, Sparta Prague, FC Thun, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Villareal.

Arsenal played with such heart whilst Barcelona played with unchecked aggressiveness allowed by a Norwegian officiating crew which originally included a linesman that was replaced because of a photograph of him in a Barca kit.

Arsenal captain Thierry Henry complained about how beat up his ankles were thanks to Barcelona defenders. Strangely enough, Henry was given a yellow card after a Barca player kicked HIM!

Well, the match is over, and although Arsenal may have been given the short end of the stick, the score will remain 2-1 and Barcelona will keep the European Cup.

However, Arsenal's impressive display of football in Europe will not be forgotten. Until this season, Arsenal had always been a joke in the Champions League. Next season, we will be a contender.

Oh, and this is just in, Thierry Henry reportedly will remain with the Arsenal. He will soon sign a 4 year deal with the North London giants as they open their new stadium in Ashburton Grove. Having the best player in the world is always a plus, and he really seemed to fit into the role of Captain as the season progressed.

After watching Arsenal's valiant effort in the Champions League, I've never been prouder to be a Gooner.

Arsenal Leapfrog Tottenham, Nab Final CL Spot

In order to ensure a place in the 2007 Champions' League by finishing 4th in the EPL, Arsenal FC needed a victory and a Tottenham draw or loss. Or, a draw, and a Tottenham loss.

Arsenal left no doubt and made it very clear they'd finish 4th with a 4-2 victory over Wigan Athletic. Tottenham also demonstrated their Tottenhamedness by failing miserably when it matters most. They lost 1-2 to West Ham United and will be playing in the UEFA Cup next season.

Arsenal got on top early when Pires scored 8 minutes into the final match at Highbury. Wigan got it back 2 minutes later, however. Wigan took a 2-1 lead 34 minutes in, but Thierry Henry equalized in the next minute.

Both the Arsenal and Tottenham matches were even at half-time. Henry gave Arsenal a 3-2 lead after the restart and later added a penalty to make it 4-2.

Henry also won the Golden Boot for the 2005-06 season. He scored 27 goals in the English League and 33 overall (so far). He is the best player in the world, I don't care what anyone says about Ronaldo. Ronaldo may be the best finisher in the world, but Henry can create his own opportunities AND finish them AND create a great many opportunities for other players. He's Ronaldo and Ronaldhino in one. Plus he can free kick as good as David Beckham.

Chelsea, Man United, Liverpool, and Arsenal will be going to the Champions League next season. Tottenham will go to the UEFA Cup. Birmingham, Sunderland, and West Brom were relegated to the Championship. Reading and Sheffield United will be promoted to the Premiership. They'll be joined by one of the following teams: Preston North End, Crystal Palace, Leeds United, and Watford.

Also, congratulations to one of my favorite clubs, Boston United FC finished 11th in League Two. BUFC gained entrance to The Conference in 1999, won it two seasons later, and advanced into what is now League Two. They'll be contending for the Champions' League title in 2050.