As most of you who read this blog regularly know, I have been shamelessly bullish on the prospects of South Africa succeeding in hosting a wonderful World Cup that will bring glory to the nation. But I also knew all along that there would be hiccups. The England-US game on Saturday, great as it was […]
Let’s see if I can get caught up after several days without internet: So, what were the odds that my plane from Addis Ababa would be delayed coming to Johannesburg on the morning that the World Cup kicked off? Pretty good as it turned out. The departure lounge was full of a whole lot of […]
I always make the mistake of assuming that internet access will be automatic in South Africa. But of course universal access is not true here any more than it is when I visit my Dad in rural New Hampshire. I am out of contact now, but you can follow my musings on Twitter at @dcatafrica, […]
I really wish I could say something smart and insightful about Addis Ababa. But when you only have 14 hours in a city, and when 12 or more of those hours are spent in your hotel complex (the Hilton Addis Ababa) that is more isolated (but also nicer) than advertised, anything you have to say […]
I have had no interest whatsoever in Twitter. But for reasons that have to do wholly with the fact that someone from a fairly major newspaper saw my FPA writing and thought it might help elevate my profile (and get them watching, they strongly implied) you can now follow me: @dcatafrica — I have no […]
Group G, projected order of finish (top two, in bold, to advance): Spain, Chile, Switzerland, Honduras. Comments: Just about everyone who is not choosing Brazil to win it all is taking Spain, and it’s not a bad guess, though La Furia Roja have a history of coming up short on the big stage. Still, they […]
Group G, projected order of finish (top two, in bold, to advance): Brazil, C’ote d’Ivoire, Portugal, North Korea. Comments: Brazil moves on, of course. As in just about everyplace else in the world, Brazil, is the second favorite international team of most South African soccer fans. This World Cup might mark and exception as fans […]
Group F, projected order of finish (top two, in bold, to advance): Italy, Paraguay, Slovakia, New Zealand. Comments: Ok, let’s just etch Italy in stone into the second round. In this anti-Group of Death the Italians, who are always in the running to win it all, will cruise. Similarly, let’s just etch New Zealand in stone […]
Over at SB Nation Spencer Hall has a great paean to the World Cup that is made all the better by the fact that it is cynical and snide and sarcastic but still in the end heartfelt and true.
Group E, projected order of finish (top two, in bold, to advance): Netherlands, Cameroon, Denmark, Japan. Comments: The Netherlands are the best nation never to have won a World Cup. They had one of the greatest teams in history in 1974 but lost to Germany. They were runners up again in 1978. The Netherlands, for a […]
Group D, projected order of finish (top two, in bold, to advance): Germany, Ghana, Australia, Serbia. Comments: Were it not for slightly top-heavier Group G this would be the Group of Death in this year’s tournament. And unlike Group G, this one has no North Korea to save the top four teams. The “worst” seeded team among these […]
Group C, projected order of finish (top two, in bold, to advance): England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia. Comments: The US and England face off on Saturday in what should be one of the marquee matchups of the tournament. The game should be quite a spectacle since Brits and Americans will be the two largest visiting […]
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