One of the interesting things about spending half of my life for what seems like the last three years in Europe, has been the 2006 World Cup being held in Germany. In 2004, I first started heading to Germany for work. Not the pretty Germany, or the trendy Germany - real Germany. East Germany. Saxony, the state which is home to Dresden, Zwickau and Chemnitz. Met some interesting people, and have a colleague who fascinates me with his thick gutteral accent and for his love of soccer.
Flash to 2006. The big German and I are now in Italy, and he took me to my first soccer match - a Champions League bout between Italy's Juventus and England's Arsenal. The match ended in a scoreless tie, but it allowed Arsenal to advance and to eventually move on to win the tournament.
While Juve didn't look that great on that night, Italy as a whole as played well enough to win so far - including a tough match against the disappointing US Team which ended as a bloody 1-1 tie.
Last night, Germany beat Argentina 1-1, but the match was decided by penalty kicks. Italy cam out and mauled the Ukraine in the first half, and ended up closing the door in the second half as Luca Toni scored two goals. I watched the match with two other guys from the States at the hotel bar on a 42" plasma, while eating pizza and drinking Amstel. I drank lots of Amstel.
So, I'm still here in Italy for another week. With the German. So, Tuesday night Germany will play Italy for the rights to play the winner from games to be decided today.
Speaking of which, my wife and I actually have a favorite soccer player. He plays for England. No, not Becks. Peter Crouch. Sharon came over here at the beginning of the month, and we sat in an English Pub in Torino and watched Crouch single-handedly kick the shit out of Jamaica. Too much chronic all around, as the should-be bobsledders couldn't stop the dancing sensation that is sweeping the mother-nation - the Peter Crouch Robot Dance. Quite a spectacle to take in - at 6'7", the guy is freakishly tall and uncoordinated from the looks of things.
ANYWAY (Chuck Klosterman reference that only Jackson would get), England plays Portugal today for the right to play Brazil. Sure, Brazil plays today against the Frogs (as my German friend calls them). France has a good player in Thierry Henry, but Ronaldo has three goals so far, and will probably net one more tonight. Henry has two goals of his own on 12 shots, Brazil just shuts everyone down.
So my prediction is this:
Italy will lose to Germany to host the winner of:
England vs. Brazil, where England wins on a Beckham assist to Crouch. Crouch does the robot. Brazil, as an entire nation, cries.
England beats Germany 2-1. Ballack and Klose mount a furious charge, but it's not enough to hold of the Limeys.
** Editors note - everyone who knows soccer would protest that this is fucking senseless. Brazil is a combine and the rest of the field are just crops for them to thresh. Since I know dick about soccer, that's my pick.