Results
Slovenia 0-1 England
U.S.A. 1-0 Algeria
U.S.A. wins Group C, England advances.
Ghana 0-1 Germany
Australia 2-1 Serbia
Germany wins Group D, Ghana advances.
ANALYSIS
Group E
Netherlands (2-0-0, 6 pts, +3 gd) The Dutch have already clinched advancement to the knockout round without breaking a sweat, or even playing anywhere near to the best of their ability. They'll have the rough equivalent of a friendly against eliminated Cameroon to work out the kinks. They are a team to watch going forward.
Japan (1-0-1, 3 pts, 0 gd) Not expected to do anything, the Japanese have played with inspiration, and find themselves on the edge of advancement. This is the best Japan has ever looked playing outside their borders.
Denmark (1-0-1, 3 pts, -1 gd) Very simple for the Danes: win or go home. Assuming they play with any sort of offensive ambition, they won't be going home just yet. While not a threat beyond the group, they should find a way to defeat Japan to take the runner-up spot in the group.
Cameroon (0-0-2, 0 pts, -2gd) My favorite team besides the Americans, The Indomitable Lions have proven quite domitable thus far. They have displayed no talent for finishing offensive chances, and do not play well together. The tournament cannot end soon enough for them.
Predictions
Denmark 1-0 Japan
Netherlands 2-1 Cameroon
Netherlands wins Group E, Denmark advances.
Group F
Paraguay (1-1-0, 4 pts, +2 gd)
Italy (0-2-0, 2 pts, 0 gd)
New Zealand (0-2-0, 2 pts, 0 gd)
Slovakia (0-1-1, 1 pt, -2 gd)
This whole group has been sleep-inducing, with the exception of Cinderella New Zealand, who followed a near-miraculous draw against Slovakia with a miraculous draw against the Italians. If they somehow find a way to defeat Paraguay, it would be most surprising advancement that I can remember. New Zealand has virtually no international pedigree on their squad, but have compensated with heart, guile, and opportunism. The end of the road most likely comes tomorrow, but the All Whites have done themselves proud.
Predictions
Slovakia 0-2 Italy
Paraguay 3-0 New Zealand
Paraguay wins Group F, Italy advances.
Topic 2: Gen. McChrystal Fired
It had to be done. As President Obama said today:
"The conduct represented in the recently published article does not meet the standard that should be set by a commanding general. It undermines the civilian control of the military that is at the core of our democratic system."
But beyond that, getting tanked in front of a reporter and talking like that shows a degree of bad judgement that would be frightening in a boss in an office setting, let alone on the battlefield. How can he be trusted to carry out orders as given when he is so openly contemptuous of his superiors?
It's not as if this is his first questionable decision, either. Prior to his promotion, Gen. McChrystal was instrumental in the initial cover-up of the friendly-fire death of Pat Tillman, and he had failed to properly police the treatment of prisoners at Camp Nama. The naked insubordination in that interview was the third strike.
As for his replacement, Gen. David Petraeus has proven himself to be an extraordinarily talented leader. Any semblance of success coming out of Iraq is directly attributable to his excellence in leading the surge and providing a window of opportunity for diplomacy and cooperation to flourish between the warring Iraqi factions. That internecine strife continues to cripple Iraq's government and other institutions is not his fault. Having snatched some tiny shred of victory from the jaws of defeat in one war, let us hope he can make lightning strike twice.
Topic 3: Another Setback
From The Daily Beast:
An accident at the site of the Gulf oil leak forced BP to remove the containment cap from the well after a robot crashed into the venting system, temporarily causing oil to gush into the Gulf once again. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said the collision sent gas rising through the system that carries warm water into the cap in order to prevent crystals.
I just want to scream.
Topic 4: How About Some Good News?
From msnbc.com:
Dozens of people who were blinded or otherwise suffered severe eye damage when they were splashed with caustic chemicals had their sight restored with transplants of their own stem cells — a stunning success for the burgeoning cell-therapy field, Italian researchers reported Wednesday.
The treatment worked completely in 82 of 107 eyes and partially in 14 others, with benefits lasting up to a decade so far. One man whose eyes were severely damaged more than 60 years ago now has near-normal vision.
"This is a roaring success," said ophthalmologist Dr. Ivan Schwab of the University of California, Davis, who had no role in the study — the longest and largest of its kind.
Let's end on that note of optimism, shall we?
"Moment of Awesome!"
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