WC Predictions

I'll probably end up being WAY off on my predictions, but I've decided to try and map out the entire World Cup.

I don't even have any idea on where this is going to end up, but without further ado.....

GROUP A

South Africa	Mexico	Uruguay	France
Date	Teams	Time(ET)	Location
June 11	South Africa 2 - 0 Mexico	10:00 AM	Johannesburg
June 11	Uruguay 1 - 1 France	2:30 PM	Cape Town
June 16	South Africa 1 - 1 Uruguay	2:30 PM	Pretoria
June 17	France 3 - 0 Mexico	7:30 AM	Polokwane
June 22	Mexico 1 - 2 Uruguay	10:00 AM	Rustenburg
June 22	France 0 - 0 South Africa	10:00 AM	Bloemfontein

GROUP B

Argentina	Nigeria	South Korea	Greece
Date	Teams	Time(ET)	Location
June 12	Argentina 2 - 0 Nigeria	7:30 AM	Johannesburg
June 12	South Korea 1 - 0 Greece	10:00 AM	Port Elizabeth
June 17	Greece 1 - 2 Nigeria	10:00 AM	Bloemfontein
June 17	Argentina 3 - 1 South Korea	2:30 PM	Johannesburg
June 22	Nigeria 1 - 2 South Korea	2:30 PM	Durban
June 22	Greece 0 - 4 Argentina	2:30 PM	Polokwane

GROUP C

C

England	United States	Algeria	Slovenia
Date	Teams	Time(ET)	Location
June 12	England 2 - 1 United States	2:30 PM	Rustenburg
June 13	Algeria 1 - 1 Slovenia	7:30 AM	Polokwane
June 18	Slovenia 0 - 3 United States	10:00 AM	Johannesburg
June 18	England 1 - 0 Algeria	2:30 PM	Cape Town
June 23	Slovenia 1 - 1 England	10:00 AM	Port Elizabeth
June 23	United States 2 - 0 Algeria	10:00 AM	Pretoria

GROUP D

Germany	Australia	Serbia	Ghana
Date	Teams	Time(ET)	Location
June 13	Germany 1 - 0 Australia	10:00 AM	Durban
June 13	Serbia 0 - 1 Ghana	2:30 PM	Pretoria
June 18	Germany 2 - 0 Serbia	7:30 AM	Port Elizabeth
June 19	Ghana 1 - 1 Australia	7:30 AM	Rustenburg
June 23	Ghana 1 - 2 Germany	2:30 PM	Johannesburg
June 23	Australia 2 - 0 Serbia	2:30 PM OAK	Nelspruit OAK

GROUP E

Netherlands	Denmark	Japan	Cameroon
Date	Teams	Time(ET)	Location
June 14	Netherlands 1 - 1 Denmark	7:30 AM	Johannesburg
June 14	Japan 0 - 2 Cameroon	10:00 AM	Bloemfontein
June 19	Netherlands 4 - 1 Japan	10:00 AM	Durban
June 19	Cameroon 2 - 2 Denmark	2:30 PM	Pretoria
June 24	Denmark 3 - 0 Japan	2:30 PM	Rustenburg
June 24	Cameroon 2 - 2 Netherlands	2:30 PM	Cape Town

GROUP F

Italy	Paraguay	New Zealand	Slovakia
Date	Teams	Time(ET)	Location
June 14	Italy 2 - 0 Paraguay	2:30 PM	Cape Town
June 15	New Zealand 1 - 1 Slovakia	7:30 AM	Rustenburg
June 20	Slovakia 0 - 1 Paraguay	7:30 AM	Bloemfontein
June 20	Italy 3 - 0 New Zealand	10:00 AM	Nelspruit
June 24	Slovakia 0 - 0 Italy	10:00 AM	Johannesburg
June 24	Paraguay 2- 0 New Zealand	10:00 AM	Polokwane

GROUP G

Brazil	North Korea	Ivory Coast	Portugal
Date	Teams	Time(ET)	Location
June 15	Ivory Coast 2- 2 Portugal	10:00 AM	Port Elizabeth
June 15	Brazil 3 - 0 North Korea	2:30 PM	Johannesburg
June 20	Brazil 3 - 3 Ivory Coast	2:30 PM	Johannesburg
June 21	Portugal 1 - 0 North Korea	7:30 AM	Cape Town
June 25	North Korea 0 - 2 Ivory Coast	10:00 AM	Nelspruit
June 25	Portugal 2 - 3 Brazil	10:00 AM	Durban

GROUP H

Spain	Switzerland	Honduras	Chile
Date	Teams	Time(ET)	Location
June 16	Honduras 2 - 2 Chile	7:30 AM	Nelspruit
June 16	Spain 5 - 1 Switzerland	10:00 AM	Durban
June 21	Chile 1 - 0 Switzerland	10:00 AM	Port Elizabeth
June 21	Spain 2 - 0 Honduras	2:30 PM	Johannesburg
June 25	Switzerland 1 - 1 Honduras	2:30 PM	Bloemfontein
June 25	Chile 0 - 3 Spain	2:30 PM	Pretoria

Round 2

1A vs. 2B
France 1 - 2 South Korea (Extra time)

1B vs. 2A
Argentina 1 - 0 South Africa

1C vs. 2D
England 2 - 0 Australia

1D vs. 2C
Germany 2 - 1 USA (Penalties)

1E vs. 2F
Netherlands 4 - 1 Paraguay

1F vs. 2E
Italy 1 - 0 Denmark (Extra time)

1G vs. 2H
Brazil 4 - 1 Chile

1H vs. 2G
Spain 2 - 1 Ivory Coast (Penalties)


Quarter-finals

England 2 - 1 South Korea

Germany 1 - 3 Argentina

Netherlands 2 - 0 Brazil

Spain 3 - 1 Italy


Semi-finals

England 2 - 1 Netherlands (Penalties)

Argentina 2 - 3 Spain


Finals

Spain 1 - 0 England

Match Previews

With my accommodations all but booked, I am officially ready for South Africa! What I promised last time were some match previews. Here they are:

June 17th: Argentina/Korea - Joburg 1:30 pm
My first official World Cup game. And what a game it is. My fellow Koreans taking on the South American giants. With Korea and Argentina already having played against Greece and Nigeria respectively, I think both teams will be going into this match with a win apiece. Both teams will be looking to grab a stranglehold of the Group lead, but I think Argentina is just too strong for the South Koreans. Look for Messi to torment the South Korean defence, whether he plays on the right or down the middle. Korea will fight and fight all the way to the last whistle, though.

Argentina 3 - 1 South Korea


June 18th: Slovenia/USA - Joburg 4:00 pm
With both teams having already played a game, look for the USA to take this one very easily. They impressed me a lot during the Confederations Cup when they beat Spain and pushed Brazil as far as they would bend. Look for Landon Donovan and co. to take this one.

USA 3 - 0 Slovenia


June 20th: Ivory Coast/Brazil - Joburg 8:30pm
What a matchup. Two of the what I'd call the top ten teams in the world being matched together in the same group. It's Drogba vs. Kaka. My guess from the first match would be that Brazil demolished a poverty-stricken North Korea side, while I do believe Ivory Coast will sneak out winners vs. Portugal. Expect to see a lot of goals and a lot of open play in what I'm going to call a 6-goal thriller.

Brazil 3 - 3 Ivory Coast


June 22nd: Nigeria/Korea - Durban 8:30 pm
The last group game for the Super Eagles and Red Devils. I believe this will be a game for 2nd place in the group. I think both teams will have beaten Greece and lost to Argentina. In what could be a dramatic, thrilling encounter, I believe the Red Devils will prevail and move onto the second round. KOREA FIGHTING!

Korea 2 - 1 Nigeria

June 23rd: Slovenia/England - Port Elizabeth 4:00 pm
In what is the final group game for both teams in Group C, I believe England will have already wrapped up first place in the group off the back of wins vs. USA and Algeria, I think England may look to rest a player or two (Rooney, Lampard). With Slovenia long out of the competition, I believe they will play their hearts out to grind a result from this game.

England 1 - 1 Slovenia

June 24th: Paraguay/NZ - Polokwane 4:00 pm
This is a mismatch in every sense of the word. With most of Paraguay's players playing in the top leagues in South America and Europe, New Zealand only have a couple players plying their trade across the Atlantic, with most of their players playing in the A-League in Australia. Paraguay I think at this point will still have everything to play for, and I can't see anything but a win here for them.

Paraguay 3 - 1 New Zealand

My World Cup game schedule

Hey guys,

I thought I'd do a little update. Here are the games I'm going to be going to in South Africa:

June 17th: Argentina/Korea - Joburg 1:30 pm
June 18th: Slovenia/USA - Joburg 4:00 pm
June 20th: Ivory Coast/Brazil - Joburg 8:30pm
June 22nd: Nigeria/Korea - Durban 8:30 pm
June 23rd: Slovenia/England - Port Elizabeth 4:00 pm
June 24th: Paraguay/NZ - Polokwane 4:00 pm
June 26th: 2nd round 1A vs. 2B - Port Elizabeth 4:00 pm

The June 24th game is probably off my schedule. A flight to Polokwane is way too expensive ($500) and just to watch Paraguay/NZ... I love the Kiwis, but not that much I guess. I've put the ticket up for resale, but I doubt it will get sold, as there are still tons of tickets available for that game. What might end up happening is that I give the ticket away to a "ticket fund", which will be used to give to underprivileged children and such. So at least my ticket won't go to waste and would be going to a good cause! Enjoy the Kiwis on me. :)

I've been busy booking up hostels in the three cities I will be based in. They're obviously in high demand, so the search continues for them. Next time, I'll give a preview of the matches I'll be watching.