This is how I feel right now

No...

I am despondent. So very very sad right now. There is no one that I really have the heart to root for anymore. And penalty kicks are so, so unfair.

I will write more about this later. But for now I am just going to be sad.

Thank goodness I was only dreaming!

I had a very odd dream last night.

And yes, this post is still about the World Cup. Despite it also being about my dream. And that should tell you something.

So I was watching the Argentina Germany game with my brother in my dream and it was horrible because Argentina was losing! We were the only people in the whole place (an apartment? With a lot of strangers) rooting for Argentina and everyone was very mean to us about it. I woke up terrified.

How ridiculous is this? I am dreaming about a game that I can have no possible influence over. But I really hope Argentina wins.

EDIT: And this unfortunately isn't a dream, but one of my most favored Argentine directors of recent years, Fabian Bielinsky, died of a heart attack. He was 47.

I didn't see a drop of rain... today, that is

I totally didn't realize that the crazy never-stops rain was like a big deal. I'll admit I saw standing water on the roads as I was jogging home to grab some things for class, but still. I'll admit, yesterday wasn't pleasant. Mostly because no matter what I did, if I stepped outside my front door I got wet. Not cool.

The last Round of 16 games were very disappointing to me. Italy? gah. A horrible penalty call against Australia. Ukraine? OK I didn't really care about that game very much. But still, it sort of sucks that Switzerland can not concede a goal and still go out of the tournament. Brazil, that one I can live with, though it is unfortunate that Ghana didn't do better. France? Spain, what went wrong? I know I'm not the only person asking that question right now. And on Raul's birthday? That is definitely not cool, not cool at all.

So, who am I rooting for in the quarterfinals? Here are my "predictions," which aren't scientific insofar as predictions can be and are really just a betrayal of my own sympathies.
1. Argentina vs. Germany. You all, dear readers, shouldn't even have to think about which team I think is going to win. Argentina, of course! I'll call it 3-1.
2. England vs. Portugal. I'm rooting for Portugal to finally show the English that their mediocrity is punishable by LOSS. Portugal 2-0. No Beckham free kicks. And no Beckham getting sick on the pitch, either. And perhaps fewer cards than Portugal's last game...
3. Italy vs. Ukraine. I really don't like the Italian team. Almost as much as I dislike the French, which doesn't even come close to how much I dislike the English. So I will be rooting for Ukraine. 1-0.
4. Brazil vs. France. Also, you all shouldn't have to think about who I'll be rooting for. If it had been Spain, I would be conflicted. But it's not. Brazil 3-0. Chaus to Zidane.
And can I also ask for no more psycho calls?

Germans confident

Interesting, isn't it, that 90 of Germans surveyed are convinced they will beat Argentina on Friday. Hmmmmm.... I am nervous/excited for that game. DALE ARGENTINA! Though I do admit that if el albiceleste doesn't go through, I will root for Germany in the semifinal. Who I root for in the final depends on the other side of the table - I might root for Spain, or Brazil, or Portugal. I would say Ghana, but looking at the scores right now, I doubt a comeback.

P.S. Happy Birthday to Raul :-) I'll be rooting for Spain this afternoon.

STOP THE THUNDER!

I hate thunderstorms. A lot. Like they need to stop ASAP. I'm one of those people who is really sensitive to things like electricity in the air - my skin gets really itchy. And I hate it.

Today was a very dramatic day of World Cup action. England beat Ecuador 1-0 on a Beckham set play, sending them to the quarterfinals while Portugal beat the Netherlands by the same score in a card-fest that ended with 9 men for each side on the field and a total of 12 players getting cards. I'm glad Portugal won and I'll admit I've lost my respect for the Dutch side because I feel like they played pretty dirty, which isn't cool.

Here are my predictions for the rest of the Round of 16:
Italy vs. Australia. I think Australia has been playing better so I call them to beat the Italians 3-1.
Switzerland vs. Ukraine. The Swiss up 2-0.
Brazil vs. Ghana. This one is tough. Ghana has been playing really spectacularly and I think that given the correct conditions they could beat Brazil. However, Ronaldo appears to be back on form, so I don't know. I'll cautiously call it for Brazil 3-2, but Ghana is going to put up a real fight! It should be a great game to watch.
Spain vs. France. Spain up 3-0. Zidane will be back for the French, meaning that they will probably return to the boring and unsuccessful formation that had them struggling through the first 2 matches of the group stage.

Either way this should all be very entertaining!

whose goal is it?

And for those who are doubting whether or not Crespo actually hit it in... and according to FIFA he did... check out this enlarged image from La Nacion

¡Maxi Rodríguez es mi héroe!

First, Germany beat Poland 2-0. Tomorrow England plays Ecuador, which I call for Ecuador 3-0 as well as Portugal versus the Netherlands, which I call for Portugal 3-2.

And much more importantly in my world, Argentina beat Mexico 2-1 in extra time. I’ll admit, I was nervous before the game. I was nervous during the game. I was furious when Rafa Márquez scored in the 5th minute for Mexico. I was relieved when Hernán Crespo (or was it a Jared Borghetti own goal?) scored an ugly goal for Argentina in the 10th. And I had my heart in my mouth for the next 80 minutes. I had tears in my eyes when the linesman called back a goal from Messi in the 88th minute on an assist by Tévez. I couldn’t bear to think that Argentina might not advance. I wanted to cry.

In the 8th minute of the 30 minute extra time period, Juan Pablo Sorín sent a cross from the left side of the Mexican goal to Maxi Rodríguez, who chested it down for a volley into the goal that made it 2-1. I almost cried then, too, but it wasn’t out of desperation. I shouted, I admit. I was so happy. And all I could think for the rest of the match (that is, the added extra time) was that as long as the defense didn’t mess up, Argentina would win. Because Maxi scored a pretty goal. Though I worry that so many players (well Tévez once and Aimar once) were slipping on the field.

I don’t have the same frantic joy that I felt after the Serbia match, but I am content. Maxi is my hero. And now it’s time to think towards Friday’s game against Germany. Argentina can’t afford to allow the sort of space that they sometimes allowed the Mexican team. And I’m thrilled Mexico lost. Especially because their coach is Argentine. ¡Traidor!

There are other moments of the match that I truly enjoyed. Rafa Márquez getting a yellow card. I was rooting for a red… why not make it 2 Cups in a row? Though this is the 4th or 5th consecutive Cup in which Mexico loses in the Round of 16. Maybe they might want to consider sending more players to Europe – because I believe of the squad of 23, only 2 play in Europe. They are limited in the same way the US is limited – you only improve by playing with and against the best in the world. And, in the current market, that would mean playing in Europe. Either way, I am thrilled Mexico lost, and even happier that Argentina won, though I had hoped they would do it with a larger margin and in 90 minutes. But I’m happy. Go Pekerman. And Happy Birthday, Riquelme and Messi.

If you want to obsess over this game, here are some places to start:
FIFA Match Page, Argentina vs. Mexico
Clarin: La prensa mundial destacó el golazo de Maxi Rodríguez y la entrega de México
La Nacion: El grito se escuchó en toda Alemania
Argentina downs Mexico in extra time
Maxi dumps out Mexico to set up Germany clash

So ends the Group Stage

Totally unrelated to World Cup or soccer or really anything I have written about in the past two weeks, I'd just like to note how the press assumes that the 7 men arrested in Miami MUST be terrorists. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? There are times when I really doubt the integrity of our legal and political systems... oh, wait... but that is another post for another day. A day when there is no football. The good kind of football, that is.

Today was the last day of the group stage, and much to my dismay FOUR European teams went through of four possible slots in the Round of 16. Let's review the results.
Ukraine vs Tunisia. Tunisia 2-1. Ukraine 1-0. At least I was right about Ukraine only scoring one goal...
Spain vs Saudi Arabia. Spain 3-0. Spain 1-0 with a goal from defender Juanito.
Switzerland vs Korea. Korea 2-1. Switzerland 2-0, and with the results of the France Togo game, Korea is out. Of the Asian teams in the cup... Japan is out. Korea is out. Saudi Arabia is out. Tunisia is out. Clearly not Asia's best performance.
Togo vs France. Togo 1-0. Noooooooo my desires were not to be fulfilled... France 2-0, with goals from Vieira on his birthday and Henry.

There are just some teams that suffer from inflexibility and (undeserved) faith in certain stars. France. England. Brazil, too. We'll see how long they last in the tournament. Brazil Ghana should be a really great game.

Speaking of great games, the best team in the tournament plays tomorrow! Argentina vs. Mexico! 3 PM EST, on ESPN, in case you are interested. However tomorrow's first game is Germany vs. Sweden. It should be a good game, especially since I believe the Swedes have steadily improved their quality of play as the Cup moves forward. Despite that improvement, however, I will call it for Germany, 2-1. And then in the game I am going to obsess over, Argentina meets Mexico. Now, Mexico might surprise me, but given their play in qualifying and the group stages, as well as the non-depth of the team (especially when compared to the Argentines), I think they are going to lose. And I am hoping that they lose badly, because I root for the US. So I am going to call it for Argentina (will there ever be a game in which Argentina plays where I don't call it for them to win? I'm not realistic in my predictions all the time...). Argentina over Mexico, 3-0. I'm looking forward to seeing Crespo and Saviola back with Riquelme, because even though Tevez and Messi are great players, they don't work as well with Riquelme as Crespo and Saviola.

A sad day for Sport in my country

It is way too hot for my taste. And not only is it really hot, it is also really humid. I am happy I have a functioning air conditioner. But my hair is crazy.

Today's WC:
Czech Republic vs Italy. I'll call it for Italy 2-1. Italy 2-0.
Ghana vs. USA. I'm not going to call it. My heart broke a little when the US lost, 2-1. However on the positive side - we scored a goal, and it was put in by an American, not by a member of the other team! So at least we had that. Also on the positive side, this less than last time performance will perhaps encourage some good changes... like getting rid of Landon Donovan. And getting some people who know how to score goals. And though I am sad for the US, I am still happy for Ghana. It's too bad they have to play Brazil now that they got their game back...
Croatia vs. Australia. Australia 3-1. Yay for Australia! 2-2 tie. So that's pretty cool.
Japan vs. Brasil. Brasil 1-0. Brasil finally lived up to expectations. 4-1.

So the way things stack up for the next round: Germany plays Sweden, England plays Ecuador, Argentina plays Mexico, Portugal plays Holland, Italy plays Australia, and Brazil plays Ghana.

Tomorrow:
Ukraine vs Tunisia. I'd like Tunisia to win, though I admit I was impressed with Ukraine's performance against Saudi Arabia. I'll still call it for Tunisia 2-1.
Spain vs Saudi Arabia. Spain 3-0. I hope Raul scores again!
Switzerland vs Korea. Hmmmm... I don't know. These two teams are both on top of the group right now with 4 points each... and I want France to be out. If they tie, they will have 5 and if France wins they will have 5 too... so there we go to the other determinations. I'll call it for Korea though, 2-1.
Togo vs France. To be contrary, I call it for Togo 1-0.

Why can't I have it both ways?

Iran vs Angola. Angola! 3-1. I was wrong... 1-1 tie. Harumph.
Portugal vs Mexico. Portugal 2-0. Well I was correct about the score but not about knocking out Mexico. Because oh wait, Angola didn't win. Sad.
Ivory Coast vs Serbia. Ivory Coast 2-1. Well I got the spread right... Ivory Coast 3-2. Pretty cool.
ARGENTINA!! vs Holland. I don't think anyone should have a doubt as to who I think is going to win this game. ARGENTINA 4-1. Alas it was a 0-0 tie. There were some pretty plays, but not the sort of brilliant shining teamwork with GOALS as the Serbia game. Either way Argentina is on top of the group! And I actually watched this game, like, on a television. So exciting!

My students pledged not to speak English for the rest of the summer today. So far they are doing OK... We will see how they react come Monday.

I am wearing my Argentina jersey. It makes me happy. I searched the crowds for Dad and N to no avail. Sorry guys, if you were on TV I couldn't see you.

Tomorrow's action:
Czech Republic vs Italy. Can both teams lose? Evidentally not. In the interests of one of the 2 teams I root for in this bracket going though, I hope Italy wins. I'll call it for Italy 2-1.
Ghana vs. USA. This one is difficult. Can't both teams win? Oh, wait, no. I'm not going to call it. Sorry guys. Though I will mention that it drives me crazy that the United States is always just the US, unless we are talking about sports. USA just makes me cringe - like bad Olympic performances.
Croatia vs. Australia. This should be a very interesting game. I'll root for Australia, and put them over Croatia 3-1. Even though Soccerroos is a silly nickname.
Japan vs. Brasil. I would watch this game in the hopes that the spark would return to the Brazilian team, but... well I have somewhere to be at 4. I'll still call it for Brazil 1-0, though I would like Japan to get a point so part of me wants them to tie... but another part wants them to play beautifully. I can't have both, can I?

still no home based internet for me

My new modem hasn't come yet which is a disappointment. Patience, I say, patience. On the positive side, I wasn't in my apartment much today, which means I didn't have the air conditioning on too much. Yay for keeping the electric bill down!

And the wrap-up of FIFA action today...
"Germany vs. Ecuador. Go Ecuador! 2-1."
Nope. Germany won 3-0.
"Costa Rica vs. Poland. Costa Rica! 2-0."
Nope. Poland won 2-0.
"Sweden vs. England. I want England to LOSE LOSE LOSE. Sweden 1-0."
Nope. a 2-2 tie. I am convinced they fixed it... harumph harumph.
"Paraguay vs. Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad! Sorry Paraguay. 3-1."
Well I was right about Paraguay winning. 2-0. Dale Pepino :-)

And tomorrow's games:
Iran vs Angola. Go Angola! 3-1.
Portugal vs Mexico. Portugal! This could knock out the Mexicans, jejeje. I shouldn't be so pleased about that possibility. Portugal 2-0.
Ivory Coast vs Serbia. I want Ivory Coast to win. I'll call it for them 2-1.
ARGENTINA!! vs Holland. I don't think anyone should have a doubt as to who I think is going to win this game. ARGENTINA 4-1.

Ominous

There was thunder last night. I hate thunder and lightning, it gives me the chills. Anyways I have everything on surge protectors, but for whatever reason something went wrong with my modem. So my Internet is out at home and I have to trek to the library... I should get my new modem by tomorrow, but it is frustrating. Especially because everything else is fine. Harumph. So I couldn't do my updates last night because at 9 PM when I got off the phone with the internet people, there was NO WAY I would be coming back to campus! So -

My belated updates:
Togo vs. Switzerland. Togo 1-0. Nope, Switzerland 2-0.
Saudi Arabia vs. Ukraine. Saudi Arabia 3-1. Dead wrong, it was Ukraine 4-0.
Spain vs. Tunisia. Spain 2-0. I was right about Tunisia not being a weak team, but they lost to Spain 3-1.

So my predictions from yesterday weren't stellar.

For today:
Germany vs. Ecuador. Go Ecuador! 2-1.
Costa Rica vs. Poland. Costa Rica! 2-0.
Sweden vs. England. I want England to LOSE LOSE LOSE. Sweden 1-0.
Paraguay vs. Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad! Sorry Paraguay. 3-1.

And may I just note that 1. my class was amazing yesterday and 2. FIFA sucks for the scheduling of the third games of group stage. Really sucks. No one can physically watch all the games live. Boo.

And I am a little sad because numerically we are past the halfway point in number of games. The frenzy is becoming, well, less frenzied. Which makes me sort of sad. But ARGENTINA plays tomorrow so WOOHOO!!!!!

Soy mujer futbolera!

Japan vs. Croatia. I'll call it for Japan 2-1. It was a 0-0 tie.
Brazil vs. Australia. I'll call it for Brazil 2-0. Spot on! Go me! Though Brazil's form still left something to be desired, considering how everyone makes such a big deal about the style with which they play... START ROBINHO! Though Australia is definitely one of the surprises of the tournament for me. Though I was surprised when they beat Uruguay to get to the Finals...
France vs. Korea. Korea 3-1. A 1-1 tie. Actually quite satisfying. I liked Henry's goal.

I have spent way too much time watching the highlight videos on FIFA's website... though I sometimes wonder why they include what they do. The Italy US game highlights were disappointing - they didn't really show any of the shots from either team in the 2nd half. I wanted to see the US-goal-that-should-have-been. But it is not on the reel. I also don't know why the Germany-Poland reel is still the first one up. That was like 10 games ago, people. And I have lost count of how many times I have watched the Argentina-Serbia reel... even though it was only Friday! All they have time to show is the goals! Though I wish they showed more of the buildup for Cambiasso's... We see fewer than half of the total 26 touches on the highlight reel. Then again, they only allot 2:28 to each game.

As a friend's away message says, World Cup makes it really hard to get work done. Luckily for me, I have been able to do some reading in the last few days and cross a few works off of my gigantic list. It feels good to do that.

That said, the group stage of the Cup is my favorite part! Where else do you get such a concentration of (usually) high quality, frenetic, passionate, IMPORTANT games? Besides which, it only happens every 4 years. The group stage is when you get to see the widest variety of styles and players, not to mention the greatest chance for upset. It makes me happy to be alive. Which brings me to the title of this post.


S observed today that I am not really typical in my soccer/footbal/futbol/futebol obsession, for several reasons. One, I am from the US. While it is becoming less rare for (North) Americans to follow soccer, it is still not really seen as "normal." Two, I am a woman. Between these two demographic observations, being a woman is much more unusual in terms of being a soccer fan. Perhaps that is not the case among soccer followers here, but in Chile, I definitely stand out. I can talk to (men) people about team's line-ups, coaching gaffes, history, quality of play... as the brother of a friend once said, it's like talking to a guy! The same happened when I was travelling in Argentina - random people (again, men) were impressed that I knew (a lot) about local teams. Well, duh. But that's just me - a mujer futbolera. There are more of us than you might think. I promise.

Perhaps I'll return to that idea at some point... but on to the daily predictions. I have to enjoy the group stage while it lasts! Even though the organizers (Germany! ahem) have games doubled up for the 3rd game of group play, meaning it will be much more complicated to follow ALL the games in real time... Another idea I want to return to at some point is that of why the English-speaking press is so pro-Brazil and so (relatively) anti-Argentina. But that is another post for another day. Predictions:

Togo vs. Switzerland. Sorry Grandma, but I am going to have to root for Togo on this one. Togo 1-0.
Saudi Arabia vs. Ukraine. Continuing my down-with-the-Europeans tendency, I call it for Saudi Arabia 3-1. And no, my problems with European football have nothing to do with European attitudes towards the US. I just want non European teams to win because the Europeans have enjoyed a (in my opinion) undeserved advantage in FIFA's structure.
Spain vs. Tunisia. Here I depart from my anti-Europe tendency to root for Spain! Because they play prettily. And they're not the French. Spain 2-0, because Tunisia is a stronger team than the Ukraine.

It's way too hot to be outside today

I thought I was going to cry while watching the MatchCast for the US game. Uf. But we could still go through... what sucks is that my desire for the US AND Ghana to go through the group is numerically impossible. I'll be pleased as long as one of the two goes through, preferably on the top - because whoever is 2nd probably has to face Brazil.

Portugal vs. Iran. Portugal 2-0. I was totally right! Go me!
Czech Republic vs. Ghana. 1-1 tie. One of the most amazing games... Ghana wins, 2-0.
Italy vs. US. Even though I'm probably wrong, I'll call it for the US 1-0. I wasn't too wrong... it was a crazy 1-1 tie with three red cards! Group E is wide open!

Tomorrow:
Japan vs. Croatia. I'll call it for Japan 2-1. Though I'm not overly familiar with either team.
Brazil vs. Australia. This should be an interesting game. Unless Brazil plays with more creativity than they did against Croatia... I'll call it for Brazil 2-0.
France vs. Korea. I want France to not move on... no one thought they were a great footballing nation until 1998. Korea 3-1.

Somos el equipo de Jose

There is a Mexican restaurant down the street that I had never been to. We had lunch with the students there today - it was actually pretty nice. Good times. I wore my jersey. Je, je.

Argentina vs. Serbia. Argentina all the way! 2-0. If you haven't realized yet - and you should have - Argentina won 6-0. People are finally taking notice. It was pretty. Very pretty. Though there are always those who say, well it is only two victories, over Cote d'Ivoire and Serbia. Before Argentina beat them, these same people were saying that this was a very difficult group. And the goals from today's game were very, very pretty. Jogo bonito! Watch the FIFA highlights reel. It will make you smile.

Holland vs. Cote d'Ivoire. A 1-1 tie? Unfortunately and with a score that does not show the great skill of Cote d'Ivoire, Holland won 2-1. The Argentina game was better.

Mexico vs. Angola. ANGOLA 2-1. A 0-0 tie. Woohoo! An African team got a point!

Tomorrow's predictions:
Portugal vs. Iran. Portugal 2-0.
Czech Republic vs. Ghana. 1-1 tie.
Italy vs. US. Even though I'm probably wrong, I'll call it for the US 1-0.

And the Argentina game. Really excellent. Even the English admit it. ;-)

I would...

... feel badly for Serbia. If I weren't an Argentina fan.

6-0.

DALE ARGENTINA! And good for Pekerman!

Thank you, Abbondanzieri, Ayala, Sorin, Cambiasso, Heinze, Mascherano, Gonzalez, Crespo, Riquelme, Saviola, Maxi Rodriguez, Burdisso, Tevez, and Messi. You have made my day.

A Rejected Greeting Card

late in the game goals

I was such a space cadet today that I got all the way to campus before realizing that I had forgotten to bring the materials to photocopy for my class today. Go me.

Argentina plays in less than 12 hours... woohoo!

And my record today:
Ecuador vs. Costa Rica Ecuador, 2-0. Actually, it was 3-0. Ouch for Costa Rica.
England vs. Trinidad. Optimistically calling it for Trinidad! 2-1. Harumph. England 2-0, but the English played like crap. At least they scored their own goals this time. But they really don't deserve to advance, given their play this tournament.
Sweden vs. Paraguay. Tie 1-1. Sweden 1-0. Sweden picked up 3 points and Paraguay's out.

TOMORROW:
Argentina vs. Serbia. Argentina all the way! 2-0. I hope Saviola scores another goal!!!
Holland vs. Cote d'Ivoire. What do I want to happen? Cote d'Ivoire to win. What do I think will happen? I really have no clue. A 1-1 tie?
Mexico vs. Angola. What do I want to happen? Mexico to lose. Yes, I have said this before. So I will throw caution to the wind (is that the correct phrase?) and say ANGOLA 2-1. And hey then an African team would actually win a game.

PS - what's up with all of the late in the game goals? It's crazy!

And for some diversion: From The Onion, Devastated by US World Cup Team's First-Round Loss, Nation Grinds to Halt.

I'm stuffy and exhausted, so all I can talk about is the Mundial!

Spain - Ukraine. Spain 1-0. I was right... but Spain scored 4 goals, not 1! :-)
Tunisia - Saudi Arabia. 1-1 tie. It was a dramatic 2-2 tie. Go me.
Germany - Poland. Germany 2-0. It was Germany 1-0. poor Poland doesn't have any points...

And tomorrow's games...

Ecuador vs. Costa Rica Ecuador, 2-0. Though I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other.
England vs. Trinidad. Optimistically calling it for Trinidad! 2-1. I'll let the English score a goal for themself, though. They should do that much... but I hope Trinidad wins.
Sweden vs. Paraguay. Tie 1-1. Though I lean towards rooting for Paraguay...

Argentina plays Friday! Yay!

Achoo part two

I can't breathe! I slept so little last night that I am ready to fall asleep... like... now. My nose is red and I am almost out of tissues. Not cool. My response? Frantically clean my entire apartment. Wash all things fabric - yes, that includes the curtains... I hope I got all the allergens out. We'll see. I'm mostly just allergic to molds (ew!) and I haven't found any recently but still... it's summer and there is lots of humidity. Plus there were workpeople doing things in the apartment next to mine - namely, taking out the carpet. The person who lived there was definitely a smoker. Also not good for my sinuses.

Class started today, I think it went pretty well. I like the group, they should be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, my voice is all gravelly and my hearing is weird because my head is all stuffy, but it went well nonetheless. Hopefully I can hear better tomorrow.

And for my favorite part of the day! World Cup wrap-up.

I said: Korea vs. Togo. Korea 2-0. Well... I was right about Korea winning. 2-1. So not too bad.
France vs. Switzerland. France 1-0. TIE! Woohoo for the Swiss! 0-0
Brazil vs. Croatia. Brazil 4-1. A disappointment... S told me (since he could actually see the game) that the first 20 minutes were pretty and then it got pretty boring. Yes, he called the game boring. Brazil won on a Kaka goal, 1-0.

Next up: Spain - Ukraine. Two Europeans... I'll call for Spain 1-0.
Tunisia - Saudi Arabia. I don't know much about either team... I'll call a 1-1 tie.
Germany - Poland. Hmmmmmm...... fraught with history.... I'll probably be rooting for Poland, but I think Germany will win, 2-0.

Achoo

I don't know why exactly, but I am so stuffy that every time I see light I start sneezing. I never had to blow my nose this much in the winter! Harumph.

And today's World Cup action was... well... let's see.
I thought: Japan 2, Australia 1 .What happened? Australia 3, Japan 1 (quite a surprise!)
I thought: US 2, Czechs 1. What happened? Czechs 3, US 0. (ouch. see previous post)
I thought: Italy 1, Ghana 0. What happened? Italy 2, Ghana 0. Well I was right about Italy.

My desire for European teams to do badly isn't being fulfilled... harumph. Today was not a good Cup day for me.

Tomorrow's predictions:
Korea vs. Togo. Dad and N will be there! Which is pretty exciting. I'll call it for Korea 2-0. Though it would be cool if an African team won a game...
France vs. Switzerland. Hm two European teams. I'll go with my grandmother's roots and hope that Switzerland will win (though given my luck today...), though I'll call it for France 1-0.
Brazil vs. Croatia. Even though I am an Argentina fan, who doesn't love to watch Brazil play? Brazil 4-1. I hope Ronaldinho does something pretty. :-)

Ouch.

Ouch. That is all I am going to say about the US game. OUCH.

But if we were going to lose, at least it is to a good team this time. It's not like France '98, at least.

Sunday wrap-up

And for our daily dose of World Cup madness (no, I didn't watch any games today). My predicions were OK but not great. Let's check them out:

Netherlands beats Serbia 3-0. I was correct about the outcome but not the score. Holland won 1-0. Though emotionally I want Argentina and Cote d'Ivoire to go through, and in order for that to happen... well it is still possible but difficult. I like the idea of taking out the Europeans. I guess it has to do with my resentment with the way the 32 slots for the finals are split up... look at a map sometime and you will see what I mean.
Mexico ties Iran 0-0. Mexico beat Iran 3-1. I had hope when Iran tied it up 1-1, but the Mexicans just kept scoring. I see it likely that Mexico will get out of the group stage (they don't deserve it! They don't deserve to be the Cabeza de Serie from CONCACAF, it should have been the US!), but I comfort myself in knowing they will have to face the survivors of group C (Argentina, Holland, Serbia, Cote d'Ivoire) so they probably wouldn't get any farther than that.
Portugal beats Angola 3-2. Portugal beat Angola 1-0 with the only goal of the game coming 3 minutes in. Meaning Portugal and Mexico tied for the top of group D with 3 points each. There are still 2 games to be played...

And for my predictions of tomorrow's games: Australia vs. Japan. This one is tricky, I'll call in Japan's favor by 1 goal, let's put it at 2-1. US vs. Czech Republic. I want the US to win, despite many of my co-citizen's apathy towards the tournament... the Czechs are a strong European team (remember when they were still part of Czechoslovakia?) who performed well in 2004's UEFA cup. The US isn't too bad either, though as usual our national expectations are not particularly high - I just ask not to be embarassed, and it would be nice to get out of the group stage. With that in mind, I think it will be a close and exciting game, and I'll optimistically call it for the Yanks 2-1. Tomorrow's third game is Italy vs. Ghana, the other game for the US's group E. I'll call it for Italy (despite injury rumors...) 1-0, though in my heart I hope the Africans win.

Hilarity

Continuing my World Cup obsession... there are funny videos on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. check them out: Daily Show and Colbert Report.

Stephen Colbert claims that it should be our (America's) goal to completely ignore the World Cup, while on the Daily Show John Hodgman describes the popularity and importance of the World Cup in the following terms: "The World Cup is like the Olympics plus the World Series plus the birth of your first child, all multiplied by x, where x equals awesome." Ha, ha.

I swear I have done things not related to the World Cup today. They just aren't as interesting. Because the World Cup is all sorts of goodness. :-)

How correct am I in my predictions?

And for today's roundup:

England vs. Paraguay 1-0 -- I was right, though no Englishman scored a goal... rather, the Paraguayan captain scored an own-goal...
Trinidad and Tobago vs. Sweden 1-3 -- I am delighted to be wrong! It was a 0-0 tie and the first time Trinidad and Tobago has scored a point in a World Cup final!
ARGENTINA vs. Cote d'Ivoire 2-0. -- I was right about Argentina winning (YES!), though Cote d'Ivoire scored late in the second half to make it 2-1 and a nervewracking finish for Argentine fans such as myself. Goals from Crespo and Saviola, who won Man of the Match. YAY!

I am not used to hot weather

So for my predictions yesterday... I was wrong on the Germany Costa Rica game and correct on the Ecuador Poland game, though not on the score. Oh, well.

I saw the goals. They were pretty.

Now that I am no longer in South America, it is hot. It has come to my attention that I am sorely lacking in my summer wardrobe. I am thinking that it has something to do with the fact that the last year that I spent July and the first part of August in the US was 2002. Nonetheless, something must be done. And though they have put my air conditioning unit back in the window, it doesn't turn on. At least it is supposed to be somewhat cooler this weekend, and I have a fan.

I ordered some new books last night. I'll admit they are on the reading list, but I am still excited to read them! What a dork.

I miss S a lot, but we are doing pretty well I think with the separation this time. It helps that it is not going to be very long. And I am very happy because I used my new apron (yes I asked for an apron for my birthday last year... I make a mess of my clothes in the kitchen) and I didn't spill at all. I think it brings me good luck.

And, todays predictions: England Paraguay 1-0 (though I would prefer that England lose... I'm being *realistic*), Trinidad Sweden 1-3, ARGENTINA! Cote d-Ivoire 2-0. We'll see how the day wraps up.

And to look forward to tomorrow: Serbia vs. Netherlands, Mexico vs. Iran, and Angola vs. Portugal. I'll go ahead and make my predictions now. Netherlands beats Serbia 3-0. Mexico ties Iran 0-0, and Portugal beats Angola 3-2. I really want Mexico to lose. It's totally random but... well... that is what tends to happen in the Mundial. :-)

Mundial!

For those of you living in a hole, WORLD CUP begins today! One hour until the first game: Germany vs. Costa Rica. Also this afternoon, Poland vs. Ecuador. Much to my own dismay (and with a million excuses but still feeling sort of silly), I am not nearly as prepared for the tournament as I might like to be. I am not intimately acquainted with the lineups of my favorite teams, and I can't remember off the top of my head who is in what group. The shame! So my totally uneducated guesses for today's games: Germany Costa Rica tie 1-1, Ecuador beats Poland 2-1. Again, totally uneducated. But I will be entertained by seeing how close I get without having any money at risk.

But for me the important games aren't played until later - Argentina has it's first game tomorrow (followed by other games the 16th and the *BIG* one the 21st) and the US plays the 12th, the 17th, and the 22nd. It's still sad that Chile isn't in the Mundial, but to be honest it makes my who-I-am-rooting-for rubric a little easier. So, we'll see.

Tomorrow: England vs. Paraguay, Trinidad vs. Sweden, Argentina vs. Cote d'Ivoire.

long equation

All I am going to say for now:

car + plane + plane + rude customs officials + plane + transfer bus + bus (late!) + taxi [36.5 hours traveling] = being at home but missing S.

I need some sleep.

Los pinguinos

*WARNING* This is a post on Chilean politics... and current events... and well it is interesting so you should read it anyways.
New York Times: Chilean Promised a New Deal, Now Striking Youth Demand it

The Economist article is subscription only: School's Out: Freedom is loose in the land, and the children know it.

Crib sheet: For the last few weeks high school students have been on strike or have taken over their schools in a protest of the quality (or lack thereof) of education in Chile and the govenrnment has been negotiating with the students. There have also been protests and incidents of police burtality, as well as delinquency and vandalism along the main road in Santiago, the Alameda. It is THE topic in the country - everything is about the students and the state of education. The students have been iun dialogue with the government and at the end of last week the government offered a program as a response to the student's demands.

I'll admit that I think the government's proposal is entirely reasonable and I am actually pretty surprised that it has taken this long for press in English to cover the high school student movement... they call themselves "Pinguinos" from the March of the Penguins... anyways... calling the topic of the "pase escolar" and the "tarifa escolar" (actually two different things: the first is a card that identifies the student as qualified for a reduced fare on public transportation, while the second is the actual fare) free bus fare... well the terms of complaint in English sound sort of silly. Free public transportation? hm. No article really explained the issues that most students have with the jornada escolar completa (full school day), which as someone who came from a system with that style, well I don't really understand the pedagogical objection to an eventual change to that system.

OK a bit of an explanation of the JEC is in order. Many schools here have two jornadas, or schedules, and students only go to one. So for example you only go to school in the morning or in the afternoon, and teachers give the same classes n the morning as in the afternoon. The whole point of the JEC is to expand the offerings of education and to allow for more variety and more learning time. However, a good implementation of this change will take time and resources; I can understand the students complaining abut a change when they have teachers who are not prepared and there is not curriculum in place to take advantage of the change. But eh the change in and of itself is a good thing because it will widen opportunities (this is supposedly a social movement...) and improve the quality of the Chilean education. I really think most students are against it because they don't want to be in school all day, and that is it.

They also haven't mentioned a lot of things that are sort of a huge matter of discussion here... the growing division between the student leaders, the violence in the centro caused by and I quote "lumpen" rather than normal people, why people complain about the LOCE (other than the centralization issues and Pinochet)...

There is a national strike tomorrow (Monday) in support of the students, who didn't accept the government's proposal basically only because of the tarifa escolar. S doesn't have classes because his university is on strike to support the students.

Also, I should mention that S's alma mater, the Liceo de Aplicación, was one of the first to mobilize. S is very proud. He even wore his old school tie last week. But no worries, we have stayed away from the protests. I have no desire to have tear gas thrown at me or to be knocked down by a water cannon. Anyways - let me know what you think!

And a random correction: school uniforms are not black and white, they are navy blue and white. And not all schools have the same colors...

and I am still not healthy...

I have managed to have a cold nearly all week. Not cool.

On a positive note, I have been able to spend lots of time with my in-laws. On the negative side, I haven't been able to do too much else.

Wedding planning is going well... we are almost 100% sure about our choice of venue, which is pretty exciting. I also got my hair cut today... same style but a little shorter. Because it was getting longer.

World Cup is coming.... YAY even though Chile isn't in it... harumph harumph.

At some point I'll write about the student protests here, basically no one in high school in the whole country (OK that is an exaggeration but still) has been in classes because the schools are either on strike or "en toma," demanding educational reform from the government. The government came up with a proposal that was broadcast yesterday but the student's didn't accept it and are now calling for a national strike on Monday. Hm. We need things to be open on Monday. There has also been a bit of violence - over 800 people arrested downtown alone - which is disquieting. Tuesday the police reacted totally out of control and then as people say the lumpen and delinquents came to cause trouble, not the students. Either way that is all that is on the news here. IN case you were interested. At some point I might write about the demands and the process of dialogue between the students and the government... but to be honest I don't see the high school students of the US uniting to force reform of education policy. In that respect, it's pretty cool.

S still has classes. Mish.