Round of 16 Predictions, Part II

The man of the match in Portugal vs. The Nederlands goes to...

I'm short on time for this one, so it'll have to be a quickie. There's a rant about Portugal vs. The Netherlands that's been milling around in my head for a little while yet, but it's not fully formed, so will probably end up as the header to a news and notes column in a day or two.

I am now convinced that Sven Goran Eriksson is the professional golf of football when it comes to tactical team management. In big games, his squads will simply not be fun to watch, regardless of who is on his squad, thus absolutely killing every fan's viewing pleasure. Every England game thus far has been occasion to fall asleep on the couch, and it's highly unlikely to change, though it was good to see England's goats come up big for them in an important game (and I'm shocked to find myself actually riding the Hargreaves bandwagon). I'm not exactly sure when England became Italy, but that's certainly what they look like these days, and I suspect it will continue as long as he keeps managing them. If it works for them and they win the World Cup, great... he got the result everyone wanted. If not, it's been a long, boring ride that I would prefer to never repeat. Football is supposed to be entertaining. England matches hardly fit that description. I'd almost rather watch John Daly's reaction after he shanks a drive, and that's pretty goddamn desperate.

Italy vs. Australia
Oddly enough, this is the match that I expected to get pretty rough from the get go - partly because Hiddink coaches his sides to play that way against better teams and partly because the Italians can't seem to help themselves. FIFA may have instructed referees to immediately crack down on that sort of stuff now that the Klitchko v. Lewi... erm, Portugal vs. Netherlands match has gone down, which could change this game dramatically (and likely in favor of the Italians). That said, I think the Italians are in real danger here. Australia plays a lot like the U.S. except with more skill, and Hiddink's teams are always fit. Additionally, Aussies already play in heat at home, so Germany isn't anything new to them, while the Italians have certainly shown some wear in their early games. Today's game is early, and Germany has been sweltering lately.

If Italy's strikers finally wake up, I think they win this, because they are going to get chances against Australia's back line. However, if they continue to slumber through this tournament like they have at nearly every other World Cup in recent memory, then the Aussies might just pull this one out. Italy's odds appear to be around 3.5:1 at the bookies, and I think it's much closer to 2:1, making Oz a good bet in my mind, should one be interested in that sort of thing.

Switzerland vs. Ukraine

Senderos gave fans one of my favorite images of the World Cup.

Boring vs. Boringer. That's what most people might think on this matchup, but I haven't found the Swiss to be that boring. Yes they lack bona fide superstars, but Senderos, Frei, and Barnetta have played just below that level so far and deserve some respect. Ukraine have looked terrible in the World Cup minus 90 minutes of Saudi bashing, while the Swiss have looked consistently good. The loss of Senderos will hurt them (he's out with a shoulder injury) because he has been nothing short of incredible thus far, but I don't think it will come into play against a misfiring Ukrainian offense that probably couldn't score a goal against the Swiss U21 side.

Brazil vs. Ghana
No Essien, no chance. It's as simple as that. Brazil have finally rubbed the sleep out of their eyes and will start firing on all cylinders, so now we'll see what they look like when they actually care.

Spain vs. France
The best match of the Round of 16, and another pick 'em. If this were just team vs. team, it would literally be a push for me, since talent seems about equal on both sides, even with Spain squashing opponents beneath their high-scoring boots. However, Domenach is involved on the France side, giving Spain a heavy edge. I hate to see Henry bow out this early, but overcoming a bad coach is really tough at this level, and Spain are playing very well.

Now if I can just get two goals from Torres so that my golden boot prediction will again have life...