Back to the Grind

Holidays are wonderful. Getting back from the holidays is not quite so wonderful. All that time off usually means there is plenty of work just waiting for you when you come back. So it has been that I have been kept from my beloved blog for this past week. But now I am returned! It is a European matchday and it is time to dispense some more "knowledge". Note how I put that in quotes so that no one could accuse me of false advertising. You make use of this "knowledge" strictly at your own risk. Of course, anyone who has been following my predictions thus far probably knows that my predictions are about as much use for personal gain as a rubber knife would be of use in a gun fight. And yet I persist. Silly me.

Actually, this week might have some interesting results. There is a strange combination of wide open groups, completely decided groups and groups with one qualified team in which the rest have everything to play for.

Group E:

This is an exciting group. Milan, Schalke and PSV all have chances to win. If there is a winner between Milan and Schalke, that team will win the group and leave the loser hoping that PSV loses as well. I think Milan will take this game at home. I also think that PSV will manage to beat Fener, leaving Schalke wishing that had made more of their chances. Of course, if Milan lose, I will enjoy a very hearty laugh at their expense.

Group F:

Lyon have won this group already. Madrid are going through too. Since the little guys are playing the big guys, the order won't change unless someone really mails it in. Lyon over Rosenborg and Real over Olympiakos are my picks.

Group G:

Liverpool and Chelsea are through and only have the order to work out. But getting the top spot can have important implications down the road. And whatever Peter Cech says, Chelsea are not very happy in general about Liverpool. They're at home, they have more to play for, I think Chelsea wins. Further down the table, Anderlecht have put together the astounding record of 5 played, 0 won, 0 drawn, 5 lost, 0 goals scored. Why did they even show up and what have they been doing with the money they keep getting for playing in this competition? Not improving their team, certainly. Do I even need to say that I think Betis will beat them?

Group H:

This could very interesting. Inter are clear through in top spot. Everything else is a mess. Anyone could follow them. Gers are in second, but they play Inter. Of course, the game is at Ibrox, Inter have nothing to play for and they might just dispense with the trouble and let Rangers get the win. That would be highly disappointing. Artmedia have Porto at home. They beat Porto at the Dragao. I'm going to pick them to win again. Since I think that Inter's effort notwithstanding, Gers will get a draw through their own ineptitude, that puts Artmedia through. Gers can have fun getting knocked out of the UEFA cup.


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With that taken care of, I just wanted to let anyone who hasn't already seen it know that the USA missed out on a seed for the WC draw. That's too bad. I can't say that I am all that surprised or that it is a horrible injustice, but it was a very close thing. We fell one point shy of Italy. Mexico made it in though. That would have been spectacular. Two seeded CONCACAF teams? Hah! That would have been something more for the AFC and the CAF to think about. The bigger news is that the Netherlands are unseeded. I can't say that I am all that surprised about that either. And neither was their coach, the great Marco Van Basten. The FIFA formula judges on the past two World Cups and the past three years of rankings. The Dutch failed to qualify for 2002. They saw this coming. But based on their performances in qualifying it's hard to doubt that they could be a very difficult proposition next Summer.