In under an hour The World Cup in South Africa will come to a close and a new winner will be crowned, or err "cupped".  Neither Spain nor the Netherlands has won a World Cup so this match means everything to both nations.  Who do you guys think will win?

My Prediction:

Netherlands 3-2 Spain.

Why: The Netherlands have been my pick to win the World Cup since since.  I am expecting a very open game because it favors both teams' style of play.  I do not see Spain's tactics against Germany working here because Van Bommel will be all over Andres Iniesta and Xavi and will prevent them from holding onto the ball too long.  Robben will be key in this game and Capdevilla will have a hard time defending him.   David Villa will be huge in this game, but Stekelenberg is up to the challenge.  I don't really want to say too much, I'm just really excited to see a game for the ages as I'm sure you all are.  Let us know who you think/want to win in the comments! Viva Futbol!

P.S. the World Cup contest is still open. Click Here to enter.  Follow us on twitter: @LiveBrtheFutbol

Wow! That was one hell of a game. Let's review the game, shall we?

Van Bromckhorst Goal

Pure class.  Left foot cracker that got the stadium on their feet and forced Uruguay to open up.

Diego Forlan Goal

Classic Diego Forlan.  I've always said it, give Forlan an inch of space and he will take you to the cleaners.  One of the best players in the entire tournament in my opinion.

Wesley Sneijder Goal

Sneijder sneaks up on David Villa and is now a contender for the Golden Boot.  Controversial goal, but no protest from Uruguay. Clear goal for me. van Persie did well to keep his foot off it.

Arjen Robben Header

The most predictable player on the planet scores a sweet goal with his head and not his left foot.  Great goal to seal the win for the Oranje. Almost.

Maxi Pereira Extra time Goal

Le Grove, one of my favorite bloggers, tweeted something to the effect of "the Netherlands defend a lead like Arsenal."  If you follow Arsenal you know that they rarely keep a clean sheet and almost always give away a late goal.  It's classic complacency.  Uruguay were clever enough to catch the Dutch fast asleep on a set piece that was played short to Pereira who neatly curls it past Stekelenburg to give Uruguay last minute hope.

Final score: 3-2. Not too far off in my prediction.

Awesome, awesome game.  Results should be of no surprise to anyone.  Tomorrow Spain faces Germany and as predicted in this morning's post, Germany will edge out Spain by 3 goals to 2.

Thanks for reading and keep supporting Live Breathe Futbol.  There are 3 games left in the World Cup. I am sad. Maybe we'll have our own World Cup of sorts over here to keep the excitement going. Follow us on twitter: @LiveBrtheFutbol 

After a few days off, the World Cup returns tomorrow with a ferocity that no other sporting event can rival.  Over the weekend we saw Germany systematically annihilate Argentina by 4 goals to none and Spain get lucky against Paraguay.  Neither of those results should have been surprising to anyone, unless you are a Messi-faithful, in which case you failed to see the problems in the Argentine squad that were not exposed earlier because they hadn't faced a side as organized and disciplined as the Germans.  Without further adu here are my predictions for the semi final showdowns.

Netherlands v Uruguay

Prediction: Netherlands 3-1 Uruguay

Why:  The Netherlands have been my pick to win the entire tournament and everyone did not believe me.  A few posts back I mentioned my friend saying that history did not favor them, but I think that issue no longer applies and here's why.  They have earned their stripes: they defeated Brazil fair and square.  The Brazilians have shown the most quality as a squad so far in my opinion and the Netherlands found a way to come back from an early deficit to beat them.  They succeeded in tiring out the Brazilians (which was a very intelligent tactical move by van Marwijk) and made them lose their shape and composure towards the end of the game.  That was fun to watch.

As far as Uruguay is concerned, much responsibility will be placed on Diego Forlan's shoulders since Suarez's "Hand of God" in the QF against Ghana sees him performing a Hudini disappearing act in the Semi's.  Suarez has 3 of the 8 goals scored by Uruguay in the entire tournament. That's one hell of a loss for them.  The Dutch on the other hand don't have a "go-to" striker and share the responsibility pretty evenly.  This goes to show a more composed approach to the game that has been successful so far with the Oranje winning every single game they have played so far.  However, Heitinga will have to keep tabs on Forlan the entire game and Van Bommel will be key in the middle of the park.

Spain v Germany

Prediction:  Germany 3-2 Spain

Why: This will be a test of tactics and discipline.  Whoever can be the most composed and the most disciplined will win this game.  I presume this will be the Germans because they have been very consistent in their sonning of teams in this World Cup.  Spain has also been very impressive, but too much goal-scoring responsibility has been placed on David Villa's shoulders.  I believe that Germany will have no problems keeping tabs on the striker.  Germany has managed to amass 13 goals in 5 matches, averaging out to 2.6 goals a game.  Spain has only scored 6 goals so far with David Villa being responsible for 5 and Iniesta for the other one.  Hardly the showing of a complete squad.  If you have watched Spain play, only the goal against Portugal was a result of great one-two passing between Iniesta, Xavi and finally Villa.  The others have been moments of sheer brilliance from Villa.  At this stage in the World Cup, and in this era of futbol, great teams tend to be more successful than individual players (if you get me).  David Villa can not single-handedly beat Germany. Thus, I'm touting the Germans to win this one.  Keep your eye out for the Kloser to shut the door on Spain's hopes for their first World Cup.

So it looks like we will be witnessing an all European final once again. I'll predict the final once I see the Semi's, but I'm still sticking with the Netherlands to go all the way even though Germany is very teasing.

What are your predictions? I presume that at this stage in the tournament it is almost impossible to be wrong if you've been keeping up with the tournament.

Enjoy the games tomorrow and the next day.  Thanks for reading and please follow us on twitter @LiveBrtheFutbol.

What's up guys? We've had a two day break from the World Cup as the teams remaining in the tournament need to rest up before the Quarter Finals that resume tomorrow morning.  I've had some time to review matches, scores and other factors that may affect the games tomorrow and Saturday so here are my predictions.

Ghana v Uruguay

Prediction: Ghana 2-1 Uruguay

Why: Ghana is the last African team left in the tournament, so of course they are going to win. Just kidding. Seriously, Uruguay has performed very well this tournament, but their defense is yet to be tested in my opinion.  In order for Ghana to win they must shut down Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez.  How will they do this? Forlan has to be closed down quickly and not permitted too much space; we saw what he did to S. Africa when they left him a yard of space.  As for Luis Suarez they have to prevent him from getting in behind defenders because he is very good at doing so.

Netherlands v Brazil

Prediction: Brazil 2-2 Netherlands. Netherlands advance on penalties

Why: They are both very quality sides with immense talent.  M. Bastos is the left back and he fancies going forward so I think the Oranje will be able to catch Brazil on a counter attack spearheaded by Arjen Robben.  It won't happen twice, though.  I presume the Netherlands' 2nd goal will come from Dirk Kuyt.  Fabiano gets one and Kaka gets the other.

I'm still contemplating long and hard about the Argentina v Germany game, but I think Germany will edge out Messi and co.  Check back for more on that.

Spain v Paraguay

Prediction: Spain 4-1 Paraguay

Why: Nobody has figured out how to stop David Villa. 

What are your predictions??

Earlier today the Netherlands faced Slovakia and Brazil faced Chile.  Here's my take on both.

Netherlands v Slovakia

I really like the Netherlands and wish to see them win the World Cup, but that is a bit of a stretch.  Here's why.  They are certainly a very talented squad and I think they have the skill and depth to go far in the tournament, but a friend of mine made a very good point about the boys in Orange: history doesn't favor them.  At first my reaction was "so? every game is different" but then it all began to make sense.  If you look back into the history books, the  Netherlands have reached the World Cup final twice (1974, 1978) but lost to W. Germany and Argentina, respectively.  In recent times the farthest they have made it is 4th place 12 years ago in France.  A history like this doesn't exactly give a team the confidence it needs in big games.  If you were to compare them to Brazil, who they face in the quarter finals on Friday for instance, history favors Brazil to win the entire tournament, and the Brazilians know this, as well as their opponents.  Your swagger is completely different knowing that you have been here many times before and taken the chip.  But like ESPN says, "One Game Changes Everything."  Onto the game commentary.

The Netherlands looked very, very good today against Slovakia.  They were composed and their chemistry has been exceptional all tournament.  Robben's goal was typical Robben; starts on the right, puts it on his left foot, drives left past one defender, past another, and then takes the left footed shot and this time, he beats the goal keeper with a low shot.  RvP did well with the decoy run.  However, the credit goes to Wesley Sneijder whose vision was superb and delivery was even better.

Slovakia never looked menacing and did not really test the Dutch defense.  I have said that in order for the Netherlands to do well, their defense must be exceptional, but I am yet to see a team really test their defense and expose the holes in it.  Trust a team of Brazil's quality to do that on Friday.  The second goal was exceptional for me and all the credit goes to Dirk Kuyt for being composed and having the patience to wait for Sneijder to get into the box before he played the ball in.  Unselfish play. That's what futbol is all about.

Brazil v Chile

Once, a few years ago, I was fortunate enough to eat lunch at a five star French restaurant (Le Bec Fin) in Philadelphia.  The lunch was crazy expensive and the portion was too small to even feed a stray dog, but the quality of the food was out of this world.  You could taste it.  I left there hungry and was looking for the nearest McDonalds, but the experience was unmatched.  Why am I telling this story?  Brazil just has that quality. And it was evident today against Chile.  I want to sit here and recap everything that was so awesome about Brazil, but there's just too much to name.  Their movement on and off the ball was excellent, the finishing was superb, and their defense was rock solid.  Sucks that they will be facing the Netherlands so early in the tournament, but what will be will be. It will definitely be a game to remember.

Thanks for reading, and the comments have been great! keep them coming, I love hearing what you all have to say.  Also follow us on twitter: @LiveBrtheFutbol to keep up with my futbol ramblings amongst other things.

The games continue in a few hours.  Japan v Paraguay. Spain v Portugal. Exciting stuff! Have a great night/day!

Before the World Cup started I predicted that it would be a very different World Cup.  The teams we all expect to go on suffered and today was no different.  The defending champions, Italy, suffered defeat at the hands of the Slovakians.  My goodness.  Italy was very very disappointing in all three games and seemed to fancy diving to the ground instead of hitting the ground running and dominating the group as everyone expected them to.  I have never cared much for Italian futbol, but today I couldn't help but feel sorry for them.  Too many teams have waited until the third game to give it everything and by that time it is far too late.  Slovakia's attacking was phenomenal and you could tell they came to play.  As a result of a well orchestrated offense, Italy managed to finish dead last in a group that is average with only two points.  Dismal.  Embarassing.  *insert term that expresses gross disappointment*  I'm sure 99% of everyone's brackets are shot to hell.  But I think the World Cup is more interesting now.  Depending on how Spain does tomorrow they could potentially face Brasil.  Nice. 

Japan v Denmark

How do you say "class is in session" in Japanese? The Japanese were exceptional in this game and completely stunned the Danish defense, scoring from two free kicks.  Finally somebody has figured out how to score from a set play with Jabulani.  It reminds me of that Jay-z line, "Do the Impossible and then do it twice." And they certainly did. 

Cameroon v the Netherlands

Glad RvP is doing well and glad he scored a goal.  I'm excited to see him return to Arsenal and hopefully we can get a full season out of him.  I picked the Dutch to win the World Cup and their display today cements that for me.  Their attack was very fluid and entertaining.

And why has nobody figured out that Arjen Robben does the same thing every time? And why can't they stop him? Starts on the right side, goes past one defender, goes past the second and turns 90 degrees and fires on target.  This time he was unlucky to hit the post because he had Hamidou beat.  Huntelaar puts the rebound in the back of the net to give the Netherlands the victory.  And Cameroon sucessfully loses all three of their group games and earns zero point.

Enjoy the rest of the 3rd round of group games.  The Race to the Cup officially begins on Saturday.  Catch you in the comments, or follow us on twitter: @LiveBrtheFutbol

Ok. I'm a bit frustrated.  First Ghana draws with Australia then my team loses 2-1 in the semifinals and I return to watch Cameroon lose to Denmark.  Not sure about you guys but the outcome of a futbol game greatly affects my mood.  At the beginning of this tournament I believed that Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Cameroon would be the African sides that would make some noise in the tournament.  So far, it has been only a whimper.

Ghana v Australia

Coming from a 1-0 victory over Serbia I expected the Black Stars of Ghana to be confident enough to take 3 points home against an Australian side that got mollywhopped by Germany 4-0.  There is a psychological advantage in futbol that a lot of teams are not capitalizing on it seems like.  The Black Stars had a great opportunity to comfortably sit atop of Group D (which they currently are) with 6 points.  However, they seldom played like they had the desire to win.  This is my gripe with every African side so far.  We are yet to see the tenacity and hunger for a victory from an African side.  Sure there are times when they are pressuring the opponents for minutes on end, but the attack always breaks down in the last third whether it is someone making one pass too many or taking a wild shot from outside the 18 yard box like Kojo Asamoah seemed to fancy all game.

Also, Australia played a man down for a good portion of the game.  What happened to taking advantage of this (like Greece did against Nigeria the other day)?  At times the Ghanian defense was way too exposed which is the problem with most of the African sides in the tournament.  The  Black Stars came away with a draw which certainly does not rule them out of the tournament, but if they lose to Germany and Serbia beats Australia they very well could be out of the tournament.  Is that going to happpen? Your guess is as good as mine.  My bracket is completely shot; the teams we expected to dominate the group stages are falling at the hands of teams we paid no mind at all.  Interesting stuff.

Cameroon v Denmark

Where do I begin? The match started out very promising for the Indomitable Lions with Samuel Eto'o showing his class by scoring a goal early on in the match.  He would go on to hit the post again before Nicklas Bendtner, perhaps the world's most unreasonably confident striker, would put Denmark level after a half hour.  Poor defense from the Lions would see Rommedahl score a left-footed shot that should easily have been prevented.  I am absolutely infuriated with African teams seemingly forgetting how to play defense.  It's classic futbol.  Striker at the edge of the box receives a ball, you close him down.  You don't wait for him to exercise judgment upon you and punish your keeper.  Then, as all  other African teams that find themselves down a goal with time running out, the Indomitable Lions (referred to from hereon out as the "Domitable Cubs") begin to mount the pressure on Denmark with plenty of full and half-chances, but they can not seem to find the back of the net with Idrissou having the best chances at goal with two headers that he knocks high over the bar.  Just like that the Domitable Cubs crash out of the World Cup having successfully accumulated zero points in two games.  Great stuff.

Netherlands v Japan

Brazil, Argentina, and the Netherlands are the only teams that have kept my bracket from being shot to hell. Thank you Maicon, Higuain and Sneijder, you guys are awesome.  Of the three, the Netherlands are the only ones that are yet to concede a goal.  This was a big concern for me before the tournament because I believed that if they were able to tighten up their defense and strengthen it they would go far in the world cup.   Hopefully they do.  I really like their team and they are exciting to watch.

Thanks for reading my useless World Cup rants and I hope you are all enjoying the games.  Brazil plays today.  Italy just did...er....we'll talk about that in the next blog post.

P.S.  what's up with Les Bleus?? They're looking more like the cast of a reality TV show than a futbol team of seasoned professionals.  Leave the drama and the egos elsewhere and just play futbol.  Your nation is counting on you.

Until next time, au revoir mes amis! Follow us on twitter: @LiveBrtheFutbol where we rant about all things futbol and more.