my picks for 2006
My first World Cup memory was seeing Italy’s Roberto Baggio send the ball soaring over the bar in the penalty shootout of the 1994 final:
I watched the 1998 final, in which Zinedine Zidane tore the Brazilians apart. I saw a lot more of the 2002 World Cup, due to the more beneficial time difference between New Zealand and Japan/South Korea.
But I think I’ve already seen more of this World Cup than any of the previous ones. And there have been some great games. Two big upsets have been Ecuador beating Poland 2-0, and Ghana (ranked 50th in the world) beating the Czech Republic (ranked 2nd) 2-0. The USA held Italy to a 1-1 draw. Argentina destroyed Serbia-Montenegro 6-0.
Here’s who I think should make the final four, based on the games played so far:
- Ecuador
- Germany
- Argentina
- Brazil
(Spain is also looking good)
And the ideal final would be Argentina vs. Brazil
[New Zealand are presently ranked 120th in the world, ahead of Lebanon, but behind Turkmenistan...]
