World Cup Day Thirteen

Unlucky thirteen? First I had Group D ruined for me by the elevator news ticker - though in retrospect, I probably wasn't sitting through Mexico/Portugal - and then Argentina/Holland was a total bust.

I get what they were doing. Really, I do. You're both in the next round already and the difference between Mexico and Portugal probably seems negligible, not like (say) avoiding Brazil to play Croatia or Australia (which I hope motivates Italy tomorrow). So why not rest guys with yellow cards, especially with the way the refs have been doling them out so far? (Though Luis Medina Cantalejo, the Spanish ref in charge of this game, is Ref of the Cup so far for me for just letting the players play for the most part. Yeah, he handed out five yellows, but at least three of them were completely justified, and there were other places where he could have whipped out a card and didn't. And I liked his apparent sense of humor, like the way he was smirking at Kuyt like "You know, I was trying to be nice, and then you had to go and do that.")

But that doesn't mean it made for compelling soccer. I've seen scintillating 0-0 draws in the past, but this one just didn't live up to billing, especially in the second half. Why couldn't this have been the first game in the group? If I'd known it was going to end up like that I probably wouldn't even have bothered watching. I wouldn't say I'm sorry I did - neither team looked bad, they just weren't trying that hard, and if I'm Mexico, or really anyone, Messi and Tevez scare the pants off me - but there were other things I could have been doing. Okay, that's a lie.

I suppose fittingly, Ivory Coast and Serbia played a ridiculous game that I didn't get to see. I don't know how the overall quality of play was, though I'm guessing not bad, but five goals should get anyone excited.

Here's hoping U.S.-Ghana doesn't disappoint me. We're pretty much 0-for-2 so far. The first game - well, the less said, the better. The second game - sure, I was thrilled they held on for the draw, and proud of how much better they played, but how could any U.S. fan not have been disappointed with that result after a win seemed like a virtual shoo-in half an hour in? All the U.S. need to do to make me happy is win. Can we get this done? I know Ghana is nothing resembling a gimme - but who is in the World Cup, really? Why would anyone think they would be? Just because they're not European? The U.S. have to approach this game the same way as the Italy game. Because any other way and they won't win.

Though speaking of Italy, am I the only U.S. fan made nervous by the "Czechs name Koller and Baros to match squad" news today? It's hard to believe either is 100%, and match fitness counts for a lot, and maybe this is just desperation on the Czechs' part. Or maybe they're scary again. I still think Italy may well have the better side top to bottom, but will they actually play like it? We need them to. Thank God they aren't already assured of going through (and even if they were, how could anyone not try to avoid Brazil?).