Und Dann Gab Es Vier

And now there are 4. Yep, after yesterday and today's games, 4 more teams have been given the boot (some very surprising!), leaving only 4 hopeful nations to settle it amongst themselves who will be the 2006 World Cup champion. Quarter Final action was truly exciting. Yesterday, we had Germany and Argentina square off in Berlin, Germany, while Italy and the Ukraine settled it in Hamburg, Germany. The Germans have been a force to be reckoned with this tournament, and they have the added pressure of being the host nation resting squarely on their shoulders. Argentina is one of only 2 remaining Latin American nations that we can root for (Brazil, being the other), so they had the hopes of many Latins and Hispanics on their side. Quarter Finals sees most of these teams shine under pressure, and this was no exception. Both teams had put their best foot forward, and gave just as well as they took. So well, in fact, that the regulation 90 minutes ended in a 1-1 tie. And extra time saw very little change, other than added fatigue, than what was shown in the first 2 halves. So, once again, we were off to settle it in penalty kicks. This always stressful and nerve-wracking situation seems to narrow down to luck, more than skill. (Although I guess you can call skill to the kickers ability to fake out the goalie, and the goalie's ability to read the kicker!) Ultimately, Germany was more skillful, and ended the whole she-bang 4-2. Argentina, after scoring 6 goals in one game, never returned to that level, and because of that, they were sent home. Next, Italy faced of with the Ukraine who, in my opinion, had no business advancing this far. And the Italians made that perfectly clear to them. Italy showed once more why they are always a force to be reckoned with, ending the heavily one-sided match 3-0. Take a hike Ukraine. That brings us to today's matches. We had Portugal vs. England early this morning live from Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and Brazil vs. France in Frankfurt, Germany. The last 2 teams to move on, and to go home, would be decided here. Again, the Portuguese and the Brits were evenly matched, to the point of a 0-0 draw at the end of 90', and then again after the extra 30'. So, once more, we go to the agony that is the penalty kick. The Brits were off to an early lead, Portugal missing one and getting one blocked by the post, but fortune had something else in mind, and the Portuguese found their rhythm. In the end, Portugal takes the cake with a 1-3 win, thanks to #17 Cristiano Ronaldo. (Beckham, we hardly knew ye!) That only leaves the champs, Brazil, to defend against the French. Where do I begin? The Brazilians are known for their awesome soccer skill. They have bred some of the best players in the world, and they currently have two of them in this national team, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. We were promised great things from this team. Throughout the World Cup, up to this point, we have not seen that Brazil that we've all heard or read about, and that all national teams fear. Sure, they've won most of their games, but narrowly, and ususally after trying to deal with far more inferior teams. True, Ronaldo got his 3 goals, which were more than enough to let him break the record, but Ronaldinho was nowhere to be seen. On the flip side, here's France, who has been playing far below their performance in the 1998 World Cup, where they defeated Brazil in order to gain the cup. Now, here we are, 8 years later, and not much has changed. Both teams tried very hard to outplay the defense, but only the Franch, off of a free kick from Zidane which connected with a completely undefended Henry, found the back of the net in the 2nd half. Try as they might, the Brazilians had no such luck, to the shock and amazement of most, and the complete satisfaction of others. It all ends 1-0, and incredibly, Brazil heads home. So, the Semi-Finals have all been set up, and they are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, July 4th:
Germany vs. Italy (Dortmund, Germany)

Wednesday, July 5th:
Portugal vs. France (Munich, Germany)

Four more games and the whole thing comes to an end. On July 9th, we will have a new World Cup Champion, and it will be one of the 4 teams above. Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen, winner takes all!